Destined
by gsl
Summary: Set in an alternate universe, Haruka & Michiru find themselves in a web of murder. Together they must cooperate to stop the crimes, but will they be too late?
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners. I don't   
own Sailormoon but I'll like to own Haruka & Michiru. ^_^   
  
Warning: This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. All characters   
will retain their names but some of the characters will be manipulated   
such that they do not resemble their namesakes in the BSSM series.  
  
C&Cs are much appreciated.  
  
  
DESTINED   
Part 1  
  
By GSL   
  
  
  
"He's running away!" A voice shouted.  
  
"Damn!" Curses of similar vintage were made in response to the   
shout. The usual rowdy crowd on the street took it all in their stride,   
as things that common suburban folk would find shocking were ordinary   
fare here.   
  
Dividing a crowd was a man dressed in form fitting shirt and   
pants, pushing his way and shoving unlucky passer-by aside when they   
became an obstruction to his flight.  
  
He was far from being alone. Two persons emerged from an   
ubiquitous car parked in the side alley and gave chase. Another two,   
dressed as hawkers, left their wares unattended and joined the chase.   
  
It was a moonless night. The street lamps barely illuminated the   
roads as the chase took place. The cool evening air was doing its best   
to bring people out from homes, lending themselves into the crowded   
streets.  
  
"Damn!" A curse escaped, out of frustration. The prey was slowly   
losing himself in the sea of crowd. It wasn't supposed to happen like   
this, but when did life follow men's plans?  
  
She wanted him badly, if only for her respected colleague still   
recovering from a gun injury. If there was one thing she hated most, it   
was to lose to this bastard in a chase.  
  
"He's turning into Sakura Lane," came the sweet reply to her   
unspoken question, via her hidden earpiece. She took off in the   
direction, barely noticing if the young lad assigned to her was keeping   
up.  
  
It was a known fact that she bore a personal vengeance against   
drug dealers, but nobody knew why. An informant had told them the   
information that they needed. They were there at the right time with the   
right equipment. Just as they got the evidence that they needed, the   
suspect seemed to have noticed them and flew like a professional   
sprinter.   
  
Threading past the crowd seemed to be a tricky task, but for one   
as experienced as her, she did not falter for a second, as did her   
'partner'. A temporary one, she reminded herself, until Sergeant Shinji   
reported for duty from his bedrest and claim back his rookie. She   
congratulated herself that the fateful day would be only a couple of   
hours from now.   
  
It wasn't too soon before she was shouting at the suspect to stop   
running. Of course, it didn't work. The least it did was to inform him   
that she was a police officer, which in turn made the suspect run   
faster.  
  
Sakura Lane was said to be haunted. For what reason, she couldn't   
remember but most people tried to avoid this place, even though it   
presented the nearest shortcut to the subway. In a moment of clarity,   
she realised that the suspect was trying for the subway. It was a   
logical choice since traffic jams were a permanent feature for Tokyo   
streets.  
  
She knew she had him when her two colleagues showed up at the   
other end of the deserted backlane. There was nowhere he could run   
without crossing their paths. He chose to challenge her, being a single   
officer as compared to two.  
  
It was a big mistake, for, within a minute, he was down onto the   
ground and handcuffed. There was little satisfaction in the arrest,   
given the fact that the drug dealing gang he belonged to would still be   
around.   
  
"Officer Tenoh."  
  
The blonde turned and faced her chief. Setsuna Meioh, she was an   
effigy of intelligence and beauty. They had got along fine, so to speak,   
never crossing the lines that they knew existed. There weren't many   
people that earned her respect; Setsuna was one of the rare few. Even   
so, with her obstinate character, there were moments of disagreement   
and, from the tone of Setsuna's voice, she knew one was coming.  
  
Young Keisuke had finally arrived at the scene, out of breath. She   
had left him to fend for his own again. Well, she'd caught the guy,   
didn't that mean anything?  
  
"While I would commend your efforts, please do not act   
singularly."  
  
Apparently not. Tenoh Haruka shrugged in response. "It's not my   
fault that he can't keep up." The exasperated look on her chief's face   
was something that she had grown used to.   
  
Haruka had nothing against Keisuke. She just didn't want to be   
confined by a partner. It was a fact made known to Setsuna, yet it   
didn't stop her from pairing her up with other people.  
  
"May I remind you that your actual partner would be arriving   
tomorrow. And you better be in. Understand?"  
  
"Whatever."  
  
This was just another day.  
  
**********   
  
"Good morning, Inspector Meioh." The tall woman greeted, suitably   
dressed in pants and shirt. Upon entering the office, she couldn't help   
noticing the wide array of books that lined the shelves, speaking so   
much about the woman before her.   
  
"It's nice to formally meet you. You were highly spoken of by your   
superiors at Osaka."  
  
From that tone her new superior used, she could gather that   
Inspector Meioh was a polite and confident person. She too would have to   
keep up with the standards. "And I've heard many incredible stories   
about you."  
  
Meanwhile, outside the office ...   
  
"Haruka, where are you? The chief is asking."  
  
"Hotaru-chan, is that the way to greet me? Not even a hello?"  
  
Hotaru blushed. "But you know..."  
  
"I'm on a case right now. Be in later." With that, the telephone   
was disconnected.  
  
***********  
  
"Chief," Hotaru interrupted the two women guiltily as she entered   
Setsuna's office. The hesitance in her voice could not be missed,   
"Haruka would be in later."  
  
There was a look of resignation on Setsuna's face.  
  
"It's okay," the teal haired newcomer began, "I've made inquires   
on that partner that I'll be working with. And this seems to be her   
S.O.P."  
  
Hotaru couldn't suppress her smile. Imagine telling Haruka that   
her uncooperativeness was her standard operating procedure. It was a   
good thing that she was in the blonde's good books. Some even say that   
she might get away with anything that ruffled Haruka's feathers.  
  
"Let's start the introductions. Sergeant Kaioh, meet Corporal   
Tomoe Hotaru, our research specialist. If you want to find out about   
anything or anyone, go to her."   
  
"Call me Michiru." The sweet smile on her face was enough to   
warrant anyone to like her.  
  
"And Hotaru, meet Kaioh Michiru. She will be Haruka's partner.   
Since she is not around, can you please take her around the station?"  
  
*************  
  
In a forgotten place, long time ago, there used to live a family -  
- A father who was gainfully employed, a mother who painstakingly looked   
after the whole household and a delightful daughter whom everyone doted.  
  
It was the perfect family, loving parents, intelligent and filial   
daughter, a lifestyle that was above average.  
  
But then again, good things never last.  
  
"Michiru?"  
  
Lost in a world of her own, the girl blushed in having been caught   
inattentive. "I'm sorry. You were saying?"  
  
"Are you feeling unwell?"   
  
She smiled sweetly, shaking her head slightly. Her companion still   
bore a mask of worry and her heart swelled at the thought. Ten years ago   
when they were still little kids, she could remember a time when nobody   
would play with her, he did. His mischievous eyes, marring his innocent   
little face, had always shine with concern for her and his hands were   
always there to wipe away her tears. Even after all these years, these   
things had not changed.   
  
"I was just thinking of something." As if for reassurance, she   
laid her hand over his.   
  
Seiya sensed that this was one of Michiru's melancholy moods and   
did not probe further. "How was your first day of work?" He asked,   
deciding to change the topic, but was met with a sigh by the girl whom   
he could still picture as a twelve-year-old, crying in the park alone.  
  
"My partner didn't show up." She confided.  
  
"That bad?"  
  
"I...," Before she could continue, their conversation was broken   
by a shrill of a telephone. Apologising, Michiru answered the phone.  
  
Having been left on his devices, Seiya idly looked around the   
restaurant. This was one of the better ones in the city and chances   
were, he might meet some of his business associates. He chuckled at the   
thought. Whoever would have guessed that he became a businessman. Some   
have thought that he would become a pop idol, given his singing   
abilities, and he smiled in remembrance of Michiru's shocked expression   
when he told her his decision.   
  
They had gone through a lot since they met. The initial years were   
a nightmare, at least for Michiru. The sudden death of her parents   
reduced her to an orphan. He could never forget seeing her for the first   
time, a twelve-year-old crying under a huge oak tree, a scene so   
compelling that he promised in his heart that he would protect her   
forever.   
  
"I'm sorry, I have to go." Michiru interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"Now?"   
  
She could detect some amount of exasperation in his voice. "You   
know how it goes."   
  
With resignation on his face, he accepted her chaste kiss on the   
cheek and watched her exit the restaurant. As he did so, he couldn't   
help thinking that she was hardly the same girl he met those ten years   
ago.  
  
*************  
  
"This is a dream come true." Haruka smiled widely at the scene   
before her.   
  
"This isn't right, you know that." Hotaru chipped in, although she   
could barely keep a solemn face.  
  
"No way, I'm going to enjoy this as much as I can."  
  
"Not if I have anything to say." Setsuna chastised, seemingly   
appearing out of nowhere.   
  
The forensic officers hurried around as the detectives stayed out   
of their way. Not one inch of the hotel room was left unexamined. In the   
middle was a king-sized bed, its white sheets were dyed brownish-red.   
The source was a naked lifeless body that lay on it.  
  
Chiba Mamoru, one of the three forces that controlled drug   
circulation in Tokyo, was found dead. It was a gruesome sight, to say   
the least, but the officers just went on with their work professionally.  
  
For Haruka, it was the sweetest sight. She had always wanted to   
arrest him for his crimes and misdeeds but had always been lacking in   
evidence. Now that he was dead, she felt as though the world had become   
a better place to live in.  
  
"Sorry I'm late."   
  
At the tune of the voice, Haruka turned to finally see her   
partner. Sergeant Kaioh Michiru, as she was told, a nice lady. She took   
a glance and was met with deep blue eyes. The new gal was tall, although   
not as tall as she was, and beautiful, with a long dress that clung   
snugly to her body, revealing alluring shapes. Her brows deepened.  
  
A dress and a crime scene definitely did not mix.  
  
Setsuna took the opportunity to formally introduce the partners.   
Michiru having finally coming face to face with the person she would be   
working with, was slowing evaluating the blonde. While it was true that   
she heard stories about her elusive partner, she could not prepare   
herself for their first meeting.  
  
She knew that Tenoh Haruka was female but the jeans and pullover   
hardly revealed that fact. She looked strong, commanding. What affected   
her most was her partner's piercing eyes which seemed to spear deep into   
her soul.   
  
And then it was gone. The unwavering eyes left her and she could   
detect a slight disapproval on Haruka's part. Michiru hastened to   
explain her lateness, "I was on the other part of the town. I came here   
as fast as I could and didn't have time to change."   
  
"It's okay. In fact, you were just on time. The pathologist and   
her assistant had just arrived." Setsuna added.   
  
Hotaru took this as her cue to leave and went on to perform her   
share of tasks.  
  
The forensic team began packing up as the newly formed partners   
and Setsuna followed the pathologist towards the body. Haruka was still   
silently observing her partner. If she were to vomit at the sight of the   
corpse, she would definitely cajole Setsuna to change the pairing. The   
last thing she needed was to babysit a lady.   
  
And it seemed that Michiru had passed the test. Haruka sighed and   
began to pay full attention to the preliminary examination. Mizuno Ami   
was one of the best pathologists that the coroner's office had. Haruka   
could never guess how such a meek person like Ami could do her job so   
well.  
  
"I'm sorry. Do you know the person? You seemed to hesitate for a   
moment." Michiru interrupted.   
  
"No. No." Ami quickly added. There was a far away look on her   
eyes. "I find him quite familiar but I don't know him."  
  
"Maybe you had seen him from the newspapers. He was the president   
of the Chiba Corporation." Setsuna reasoned.  
  
"And a notorious leader of Chiba drug dealing society." Haruka   
decided to add her few cents worth.  
  
Ami nodded in comprehension. She began her work, steadfastly.   
"Victim had multiple knife wounds. There were nine at his chest area.   
One particularly deep that probably killed him immediately. No signs of   
bruises."  
  
"Wait a minute. He didn't put up a struggle?" Haruka quickly   
asked.  
  
"Doesn't seem like it." Ami answered.  
  
"Intoxication?" Michiru suggested.  
  
"We'll do the tests. The formal report will be out in three day's   
time." With that, Ami began to leave.  
  
Setsuna quickly called for attention. "Shinji and Keisuke have   
gone around interviewing the staff. Keiko and Tetsu, the guests. I have   
asked Hotaru to review the security tapes. The two of you," Setsuna   
said, indicating Haruka and Michiru, "are to make a formal visit to   
Chiba's residence. Bring a couple of men along."   
  
*************  
  
The ride to the residence was somewhat interesting. Michiru should   
have known something was wrong when none of the officers were willing to   
take a ride in Haruka's sedan. It took all of her control and her hold   
onto the dashboard to abstain from screaming out.  
  
Some of the moves that Haruka made were purely suicidal. Yet she   
was able to pull it off with finesse. In fact, Michiru could see that   
the blonde thrived on speed. That was another thing that she could add   
to Haruka's personal records.   
  
Michiru didn't make any conversation to get to know her partner   
better, not when her heart threatened to jump out. But she did notice a   
couple of things about her partner.  
  
Tenoh Haruka was a walled-up person, so to speak. Her eyes were   
predatory and determined, signalling her distrust in people. Her gruff   
exterior also meant that Michiru would have a hard time getting close   
enough to work effectively as a team.  
  
As of now, she could already feel the ill vibes coming from   
Haruka. On second thought, this ride could be considered as Haruka's   
call of challenge.  
  
It couldn't be sooner before they arrived at the mansion, a good   
fifteen minutes before the rest would arrive. While taking a breather   
outside the car, Michiru noticed Haruka making her way towards the gate.  
  
"Shouldn't we wait?" shouted Michiru.  
  
Haruka took one glance at her and shook her head resignedly.   
Tracing her steps back to Michiru, she spoke to her for the first time,   
"It figures that chief would get someone who cares nothing but proper   
procedures to check on me."  
  
"Don't you think it is unfair to sum up things like that on me?"   
It wasn't a question that Michiru was raising. Haruka etched her   
eyebrow, getting the hint that the shorter girl was definitely no   
pushover.  
  
Haruka leaned onto the car, next to Michiru, and sighed.  
  
"We should try to get along." Michiru stated. She turned and stuck   
her hand out. "Kaioh Michiru. I'll put in my best efforts and will   
appreciate any help that you would give me."  
  
There was something about the smile that Haruka couldn't quite   
understand. Before she knew it, she was shaking her partner's hand and a   
tenuous truce was formed.   
  
Soon, police patrol cars arrived at the scene. Officers left their   
vehicles and gathered before Haruka. With a command, she led them   
towards the house, with a search warrant in her hand.  
  
************  
  
It was a new day after a long night at the Chiba residence. It   
wasn't often that they get a chance to visit a druglord's house and they   
were using every opportunity they had to carry any material, book,   
diskette, and computer back to the headquarters. In Haruka's opinion,   
this was the sole reason she was there in the first place.  
  
Sure, they met some obstructions in the form of Chiba's henchmen.   
Michiru, to her surprise, had shown some smooth moves and the deal was   
done. There were no hindrances after that, and Michiru left her alone to   
do her own investigating or, as she put it, snooping around.  
  
Now, in a room that was filled with people, Tenoh Haruka mostly   
kept to herself. She wasn't one of idle chatter and people respected   
that. Other than the few greetings, she was relatively left at peace to   
ponder about the case and to think about what she would be saying in the   
general meeting that Setsuna had called upon.   
  
The file felt heavy on her hands. They always did. How pathetic it   
was to measure one's life on a few pieces of paper clipped in a file.   
Even if it belonged to one of the most notorious druglords, Haruka felt   
uneasiness, but for a different reason.   
  
How could she put herself into arresting someone who did good to   
the society at large? What was the motive? Was there a sad story behind   
the killing? She knew for a fact that many lives were shattered by   
Chiba's actions.   
  
She had the dream again. It always came at the most untimely   
moment. Rubbing her temples, she tried to ignore her emerging feelings   
as remnants of the dream continued to torture her.  
  
"Haruka, are you sick?"  
  
The uncertainty in the other's voice brought a smile to her lips.   
She shook her head and gazed warmly at Hotaru. How the girl managed to   
position herself in that special place in Haruka's heart was beyond her.   
Perhaps Hotaru's innocent approach to life made people want to protect   
her and Haruka was not immune to that.  
  
"Are you sure?" The younger girl asked again.  
  
"I almost wished that I were, so that you would pamper me." The   
blonde teased, setting that question to dust. It came as a surprise when   
Hotaru flirted back but Haruka managed to recover in time, to slip into   
the role of a suave gentleman.  
  
Their antics were not lost on Kaioh Michiru, presently surrounded   
by a couple of her male colleagues. She maintained a polite conversation   
with all of them, out of courtesy more than want.   
  
As she tuned out expertly on the small talk around her, she   
wondered how she was able to tackle her not-so-friendly partner. She   
might have scored a little victory last night, but she knew now that she   
was far from becoming friends with the blonde.  
  
For a moment, she thought she caught Haruka's eye and blushed in   
response to being caught watching her. She turned away immediately,   
drawing attention to herself from the company that she was having.  
  
She felt herself being watched by determined green eyes but   
luckily the ordeal was cut short by Setsuna's entrance.   
  
Everyone came to attention. The once noisy meeting room was turned   
into a serious discussion area.  
  
"We have the autopsy report. Chiba Mamoru, died of a knife wound   
that reached his heart. He was killed instantly and nine other thrusts   
damaged his lungs and spleen. The time of death is estimated to be   
between 2300 hours to 2400 hours.  
  
"There were no unusual bruises found on his body. There is some   
level of alcoholic content in his blood but believed to be not enough to   
warrant him unconscious."  
  
The uproar was unmistakable.   
  
"Yes, he didn't put up much of a struggle." Setsuna said, trying   
to regain some sort of order.  
  
"Perhaps he was asleep?" Michiru contributed.  
  
Setsuna did not voice her opinion but continued, as the rest   
seemed to chew on that idea. "There were no drugs, medicinal or   
otherwise, found in his blood. No sexual activity. That is all from the   
coroner's office." She paused and signalled Hotaru to begin.  
  
"I have reviewed the security tapes. The most important discovery   
was that a female was found to be with Chiba. They entered the hotel   
room together at 2247 hours and she left calmly at 2352 hours. No others   
were seen to have entered the room.  
  
"The woman's face was hidden by the shawl. She was medium built   
and was wearing a dark long evening dress." As Hotaru stopped her   
recount, Sergeant Shinji began, "According to the hotel staff, the room   
was permanently reserved for Chiba to entertain his guests. No one has   
seen the female identified in the tapes."  
  
"The same goes with the guests," interjected Corporal Keiko.  
  
As all eyes turned to Haruka, she spoke, "We have thoroughly   
searched the Chiba residence. We brought back many things -- computers,   
diskettes, documents etc. Preliminary findings indicate nothing of the   
killing, but we may instead expose more of his drug dealings. More time   
is needed to sieve through the data. Our IT techs have begun breaking   
codes to access password-protected computer data."  
  
Setsuna took back control of the meeting. "We have a female   
suspect. No one knows what she looks like. We assume that she was   
invited by him to have a rendezvous. He didn't succeed, or he died   
before he could. What is the motive?"  
  
"Personal vengeance." Shinji replied. "The multiple wounds   
indicate a deep hatred for Chiba."  
  
"This can also be a case of fighting for turf. Who stands to gain   
the most from his death?" Haruka interrupted. "Yaten Kou and Taiki Kou.   
Just two days ago, the Yaten gang and Chiba gang clashed, leading to   
multiple deaths and injuries. We cannot cross them out, either."  
  
There were murmurs in the room. Each arguing for what they felt   
was right. As the discussion seemed to go out of hand, Setsuna called   
for attention. "All these are possible leads. Three teams will be   
formed. Shinji, you are to lead the investigations on personal attacks.   
Haruka, you are on Yaten. Keiko, you start on Taiki. All three of you   
are free to choose your team and are to report to me directly."   
  
As the meeting came to an end, Haruka felt her mind racing. How   
was she going to start her investigations? It would be a dangerous task   
and a wrong move could cost her the lives of her teammates. So immersed   
she was in her thoughts that she didn't realise deep blue eyes watching   
her back intently.  
  
************  
  
Music played softly in the background. An un-named singer blended   
her voice to the lovely tune that Haruka couldn't put a name to. Her   
companion was breathtakingly beautiful. Not surprising, considering this   
was Michiru, with her sharp cheekbones, deep eyelashes and her glorious   
crown of hair.  
  
What was amazing was that she managed to achieve all that in half   
an hour's time; picking the clothes for herself and Haruka, the priming,   
so that they would not look out of place in this top notch restaurant.  
  
Dinner was ordered with the help of Michiru, since Haruka didn't   
understand a word of French. She had grudging began to admit that   
Michiru did have some flair that she could need.   
  
What happened after that was a blur, since they kept their eyes on   
Yaten as inconspicuously as they could. Back up was ready just in case   
anything should happened, not that they were many, just two aides, Naru   
and Umino completing the Tenoh team. Both of them were presently in a   
van, waiting to be called into action. It was the only course of action   
that her team had thought out through their brainstorming session -- to   
trail Yaten in the hopes that the female suspect would contact him.  
  
Luck was not on their side. After three days, they still had   
nothing. On the other hand, Haruka was slowly getting used to Michiru's   
presence. It was a good thing that Michiru seemed to understand her need   
of space and had proved herself useful in certain situations.   
  
But, could she trust her?  
  
"Haruka, you are drawing attention to yourself." Michiru intoned.   
As emphasis, she drew her hand to cover the blonde's.  
  
The touch was enough to wake her to mindfulness. Belatedly, she   
realised that a few henchmen of Yaten's were looking her way. Stifling a   
curse, she pretended to engage in a lover's banter with Michiru.  
  
"Have I blown it?" Haruka asked, as Michiru risked a glance and   
replied in negative.  
  
"I'm sorry." The words didn't match the smile that she was   
displaying. But Michiru understood and accepted Haruka's apologies.   
  
"I guess we better reprise the roles of lovers." Michiru said, in   
between sips of wine. In response, Haruka regained her hold on Michiru's   
hand on the table and looked at Michiru affectionately.  
  
"I suppose."  
  
Michiru had to admit that Haurka looked rather fetching in the   
suit that she was wearing. This was not to say that Haruka's normal   
attire of jeans and T-shirt looked bad on her. It just made her look at   
the blonde in a different light.   
  
"How do you know French?" Haruka asked, just to disperse the   
silence between them.  
  
"My mother was a lover of French cuisine. So, I picked up quite a   
few words. But no, I don't really know French."  
  
"For a moment, I thought you were Ms Know-It-All."  
  
"It seems that the arrogant Sergeant Tenoh can be wrong   
sometimes."  
  
"Most people would get into trouble for the comment that you'd   
just passed."  
  
"But, I'm not?"  
  
Haruka looked deeply into the eyes before her and replied somewhat   
huskily, "No, you're not."  
  
Michiru liked this Haruka before her, so different from hours ago   
when she was gruff and slightly desperate at the futility of their   
actions. Probably it was the couple of drinks that they had, but Michiru   
felt that she could get comfortable with Haruka.  
  
"He's standing up." The romantic mood was dispelled by Haruka's   
comment. Michiru turned slightly to the table where Yaten was   
entertaining his business associates. She was in time to see him   
grabbing a woman, a socialite she supposed, to the dance floor.  
  
"Shall we?" Haruka stood up, her hand extended to which Michiru   
accepted with no objections. They made their way to the crowded area   
where couples gyrated to the soft music.  
  
They were the envy of people that surrounded them. A couple so   
strikingly beautiful that would not be tossed to the background. Every   
move that they made was in tandem with each other.  
  
"You're pretty good." Haruka commented, out of the blue, her eyes   
never leaving Yaten's back.  
  
"So are you." Michiru was genuinely beginning to enjoy the   
evening. More so, if they didn't have the added task of spying on a   
certain somebody.  
  
"He's looking our way," whispered Haruka as she pulled Michiru   
closer to her.   
  
On her part, Michiru leaned her head on Haruka's shoulder, acting   
the loving couple that they were. It felt strangely warm when she was so   
close to the blonde. But the feelings were subdued quickly when she   
noticed that Yaten was walking towards them.   
  
Every danger instinct she had was screaming at her. Even Haruka's   
tightening hold on her could do little.   
  
It was this exact moment when Yaten made a stop before them,   
breaking their hold.  
  
"I'm Yaten Kou, president of the Yaten Group, may I have the   
pleasure of having the next dance with you?" He didn't wait for her   
answer as he pulled her away from her partner. Haruka started to protest   
but found herself cornered by uniformly suited men.  
  
Just as the blonde's mind was racing, she caught her partner's   
pleading eyes that told her not to voice any objection.  
  
Begrudging, Haruka silently watched as her partner began laughing   
and flirting with the devil himself.  
  
************  
  
The wait was horrendous. Between spying and worrying, they had   
managed to slip a set of mic and earpiece into Michiru's possession   
during a trip to the ladies. Naru had performed the task unerringly, to   
the relief of Haruka's already fidgety nerves.  
  
With the communication kit on, they could now hear what was   
happening in the pub Yaten and Michiru were in now. It wasn't much,   
given how noisy the background was, but at the very least, if Michiru   
yelled for help, they would be able to hear it.  
  
Plans were promptly formed in the surveillance van that they   
parked across the street from the pub. It didn't take a genius to know   
what Michiru intended to do but it had taken all of Haruka's will not to   
curse her new partner for taking matters into her own hands.  
  
From what little that they knew, Yaten was treating Michiru to   
quite a lot of wine, his intentions loud and clear to Haruka's panicking   
mind. Through the many drinks, it was a wonder that Michiru managed to   
hold on for so long.   
  
Alarmed, Haruka sent Umino and Naru into the pub, leaving herself   
alone in the van. Through their reports and a tiny camera that Umino   
carried, Haruka had a pretty good view of what was happening inside.   
  
What she saw was a sore to the eye. Yaten was becoming bolder in   
his attempts to 'molest' Michiru. First, a touch on the hands, then the   
shoulder. Haruka was getting increasing worried that Michiru could not   
handle the man. It also wasn't reassuring to hear some amount of   
tipsiness in Michiru's voice to dissuade the man.  
  
Just as she was about to go in and yank Michiru off his grasp,   
Michiru made the first move to leave the place. He offered to send her   
home, his home. She declined politely and asked to meet him again the   
next day. That seemed to calm his libido but he still stuck on to her,   
offering a ride to her home.  
  
Having prepared for this, Haruka yelled her instruction to   
Michiru, detailing the place where her home would be. Naru and Umino   
quickly paid for their purchases and joined Haruka in the van. They   
began to trail the limousine which Yaten and Michiru got into.   
  
They arrived at the entrance of a high rise apartment, where   
Michiru made her exit. Yaten wanted to follow but Michiru stopped him   
with a smile that promised his greatest desire if he would listen to   
her. Miraculously, it worked and she was rewarded with the rev of engine   
pulling away.  
  
Haruka jumped out of the van, leaving the task of following Yaten   
to Umino and Naru. She quickly made her way to Michiru, catching the   
flushed girl who lost her balance as she neared.  
  
"I'm sorry," Michiru started, knowing the reproach would be   
coming. She hung onto Haruka, not trusting her legs anymore. It was a   
surprise that she held on for so long.   
  
Seeing that state that Michiru was in, Haruka lost her resolve to   
scream at the young girl. "You have worried everyone with the stunt that   
you'd just pulled."   
  
Michiru apologised again, in gibberish language. Shaking her head,   
Haruka felt the mental weight in her heart dropped. Gathering her in her   
arms with strength that she didn't know she possessed, she slowly made   
her way to the apartment that they got for her partner.  
  
************************  
  
A terrible headache had assaulted her numb mind the first moment   
Michiru opened her eyes, reminding her not so gently of what had   
trespassed the night before.   
  
The light shinning from the bedroom's window was not doing   
anything good for her moods. Sensing that she was not ready for the   
glaring daylight, she promptly closed her eyes again, lying dejectedly   
on the bed and willing the pain to go away. If she had bothered to look   
around, she would have noticed that she was in an unfamiliar room.   
  
But nothing mattered now, except for the constant ache in the   
head. Hence, it was cool relief when she felt two strong hands joining   
hers in rubbing her temples. Her hands fell away almost immediately   
enjoying what this person was doing to her.  
  
Instinctively, she felt no threat from the newcomer and had not   
bothered to open her eyes.   
  
"This is what you get for taking things into your own hands." A   
deep voice intoned, one that Michiru had slowly grown to recognise. She   
opened her dark blue eyes and was met with a set of intense greens.   
Despite the words being said, Michiru felt that she was already   
forgiven.  
  
As if sensing the somewhat intimate position they were in, Haruka   
pulled away. She handed a couple of aspirins to the grateful girl who   
washed them down with a glass of water that Haruka had considerately   
brought in too.  
  
Watching the girl, Haruka wondered what had possessed her to be so   
gentle to the girl. If word went around about this, her reputation would   
be irreparable.  
  
"Thanks!" Michiru began, slowly taking in the surroundings from   
her seated position on the bed. The room was like any other rooms with   
walls painted white, a study desk near the window, a cupboard situated   
not too far from the desk, and a vanity. As her eyes returned to rest on   
Haruka, who was sitting on a chair in an expression that was unreadable,   
Michiru began to recall more of the previous night and remembered how   
safe she felt in the blonde's arms.  
  
"I hope I wasn't too much of a bother last night." Michiru asked,   
apologetic.  
  
"Nothing much," the blonde began, then in a straight face, "You   
just managed to vomit all over our rented suits."  
  
A blush appeared on Michiru's face and turned a deeper red as she   
realised that she was in a different set of clothes that she remembered   
wearing. And this meant that someone had changed her clothes for her.  
  
Sensing what was on her partner's mind, Haruka said, "don't worry,   
I didn't look more than necessary."  
  
"Are you sure?" It was weird that she was having so much   
reservation about this. Haruka was a woman too, even though her   
appearances said otherwise.   
  
"What do you think I am, a pervert?"  
  
Seeing Haruka so worked up, Michiru dispelled her doubts but   
couldn't stop an evil thought from surfacing. "No, but I think I am   
attractive enough to convert you into one."  
  
"So, shall I tear off your clothes to take a better look?" Haruka   
challenged, feeling oddly up to the teasing.  
  
"You wouldn't dare."   
  
"Antagonise me like that again and see if I would."  
  
Michiru felt her spirits lifted with their light banter. Haruka   
had not admonished her, like she had feared. Behind the façade of   
coldness, she was sure that a warm heart existed. And then, it struck.   
One way to 'open' up Haruka was to tease her.   
  
"I've made breakfast. Go freshen up and join me at the table."   
  
It sounded more like a command but Michiru reacted with surprise,   
rightfully so. "You cook?"   
  
"I won't poison you. If I wanted to kill you, I would have done   
that last night." There was a small smile to Haruka's lips as she spoke.   
It was hard not to learn how to cook, considering she lived in solitude   
most of her life.   
  
She was an orphan and had grown up in an orphanage that was more a   
roof over her head than a home. Her pride had rendered her to become a   
loner. Only few had a glimpse of who the true Tenoh Haruka was, but they   
were mostly dead.   
  
"Well then, I better get ready for the feast."  
  
"And the talk." Haruka added before Michiru had a chance to leave.  
  
"What talk?"  
  
"Of how we are getting you more acquainted with a certain white   
hair guy."   
  
Somehow, Michiru felt that Haruka was grinning too much for her   
own good.  
  
*************************  
  
"Hey, you are the one who wanted to get close to the guy." Haruka   
smoothly added. Her calm exterior was annoying her partner and it was   
apparent to both that she loved every minute of it.  
  
"Is this some sort of revenge?!" Michiru gathered from across the   
breakfast table. Their meal was quickly devoured, a testament to how   
hungry they were. Their discussion on the direction of the case was   
slowly becoming ludicrous, with the latest mention that Michiru should   
put up a lap dance to garner Yaten's trust.  
  
"Me?" The innocent look that Haruka was going for failed miserably   
in Michiru's eyes. But the blonde continued her charade. "Why would I   
want to seek revenge on you?"  
  
"Do you know that I don't believe in that a single bit." There was   
a great urge to wipe that smile off the blonde's face. It was   
infuriating to say the least.  
  
"If you do not like my ideas, what do you suggest?"  
  
"Well, although I agree that I need to get closer to Yaten, I'm   
not sacrificing my body." She didn't understand why her look of despair   
was bringing loads of laughter out from Haruka. In seconds, she was   
poking at Haruka to stop.  
  
"Okay, I understand." Haruka said, slowly regaining her calm, "I   
promise it will never come to that."  
  
Even though there was a mischievous sparkle in Haruka's eyes,   
Michiru found herself believing in the blonde.  
  
Their conversation was cut short by the arrival of Naru and Umino   
who had come to report to Haruka. Their short recount was uneventful but   
necessary.  
  
"Wait a minute, if both of you are here, who is watching Yaten?"   
Michiru asked, slightly alarmed.   
  
"I've asked for back up. Kei and Jun would be on the case, since   
you have messed up big time. They are at his tail right now." Haruka   
noticed the nod from Naru before eyeing at Michiru meaningfully. "And if   
Setsuna ever got to carrying out her threat for waking her in the middle   
of the night, I will be hunting for you."  
  
"What did she say?" It was the question on all their minds, except   
it was Michiru who voiced out.  
  
"Nothing." Haruka stubbornly refused to say. But she did get   
goosebumps for thinking about it. Introducing her to the more feminine   
aspects of life, what was Setsuna thinking?   
  
*************************  
  
So Michiru had a boyfriend.   
  
She wondered why the thought had bothered her. In fact it had   
pestered her to no end, the scene of Michiru speaking over the phone   
with her loverboy kept playing in her head. "Darling, I'm on a case   
right now. Will be uncontactable for days. Don't worry, I'll take care   
of myself."   
  
Baka. Haruka mentally scolded herself. Shaking herself out of her   
reverie, she refocused herself on the task on hand. Lives depended on   
her, especially the green haired one.   
  
Michiru had outdone herself again. With the whole afternoon to   
prepare for her date with the druglord, Michiru had primed, powdered and   
dressed to become the beautiful creature that she was now seeing through   
the windows of her stakeout van.   
  
She was parked across the street from the restaurant where her   
partner was in. Her monitoring devices were on, each recording the   
happenings in the restaurant at this exact moment.   
  
"You own this restaurant?" Michiru feigned surprise as Yaten   
laughed heartily. "Yes. I do own quite a lot of things and not limited   
to inanimate objects." The druglord replied meaningfully.  
  
The secret agent deliberately ignored the innuendo and spoke   
again, "so that's why we are the only guests here."  
  
"Don't you like it this way?"  
  
The girl smiled uncommittingly. Her glance swept across the room.   
She had counted four bodyguards that were littered around the   
restaurant. Her little investigation was disrupted when Yaten stood up   
and laid a hand in front of her.   
  
Soft music began at once, and Michiru found herself accepting the   
silent dance request and moved to the rhythm, along with her 'date'.   
Yaten was a surprisingly good dancer, and that was the only good comment   
she could come up with about him.  
  
"Say, why don't we go back to your apartment after dinner?"  
  
Faced with his lecherous grin, Michiru tried to hide her disgust   
and replied sweetly, "It's not convenient. My roommate is in today."  
  
"Then, a hotel it is."  
  
"Woah, hold it right there." Michiru pushed him away purposefully.   
"Do you think I'm that sort of girl?"  
  
Yaten laughed in amusement. Michiru was different; he felt that   
the moment he laid eyes on her. He would be enjoying the chase very   
much.   
  
**********************  
  
"So, everything is fine?"   
  
There was this look in Setsuna's eyes that forced her to look   
away. Her body was rigid and tensed as opposed to the other sitting in   
her big comfy chair in the small office.   
  
She had learnt long ago that it was useless to hide anything from   
her superior. "We have made no progress in this investigation against   
Yaten. And I'm worried; Yaten is getting more persistent. I'm not too   
sure how long Michiru can hold him off."  
  
Tenoh Haruka admitting defeat, this was something new to her,   
startling even. "If it becomes too dangerous, we can pull your team out   
and drop another team in."  
  
"No." Haruka intoned sharply. "We can't do this, not after what we   
have done to come so far."  
  
"So what are you going to do next?"  
  
"We are considering infiltrating into Yaten's office."  
  
"Haruka." With that one word, disagreement and worry were clearly   
conveyed. "Do not act in desperation."  
  
"I don't."  
  
Setsuna sighed as she looked into the steely gaze of the blonde.   
"You know that your decision will endanger your teammates. And I don't   
think you can survive another case of dead partner."  
  
"I know that."   
  
The edge in her voice was unmistakable and Setsuna surrendered.   
"If you need more backup, let me know."  
  
*********************   
  
"Maybe we are looking at the wrong angle. Maybe Yaten is not the   
mastermind behind the killing." Haruka said softly from her position on   
the ledge of the window. The view up there was beautiful but she could   
not find it in her heart to enjoy it.   
  
Michiru stopped towelling her hair and looked at Haruka. The   
sunset was casting its orange rays across the sky. With Haruka sitting   
against the backdrop, the scene was almost surreal.  
  
They were in her room, in the house that belonged to the police   
force. It was in this room that they had the heated discussion to sneak   
into Yaten's office.   
  
"We have arrived at the decision together. It was the logical next   
step to do." Still fresh from her bath, Michiru fitted in her robes,   
walked the few steps towards Haruka. "You can't have second thoughts   
now."  
  
"But."  
  
"No buts. All our other surveillance has failed. By getting into   
his office, that is the best chance I can get any incriminating evidence   
on him." Michiru hardened. When Haruka didn't respond, she continued   
softly, "I need this to end, I can't take it anymore. I don't want to   
feel his hands on me, his lecherous gazes, I..."   
  
Her tirade was stopped when she felt the soft embrace from her   
partner. It was warm and calming, not possessive or violating. She felt   
herself leaning into the hug, genuinely enjoying the security that the   
taut body offered her.  
  
"I'm sorry you have to go through that. But it ends today." Haruka   
softly coaxed, "whether we succeed or not."  
  
Michiru looked up and could see the concern flooding in her   
partner's eyes. There was no way she could object to that. With a smile,   
she pulled away, as if realising for the first time how intimate the   
position they were in. The sensation of loss was great but it was   
overshadowed by the awkwardness that followed.   
  
Then, to dispel the tensed atmosphere, "Shoo, I need to get   
changed," Michiru added. The blonde obliged willingly and left almost in   
an instant. Once she was gone, Michiru was left to ponder about the   
blush that had formed on Haruka's face just moments ago.  
  
*********************  
  
Dressed in a low cut navy gown, Michiru did her fair share of   
making heads turn. Given that, there would be many men wanting to   
introduce themselves to her, if not for the company she was currently   
having.  
  
Yaten and herself were presently at a pub situated at the highest   
floor of the Yaten building. And just one level below them was the   
office that Yaten operated his operations from. He was surprised when   
she voiced her desire to come to this pub but thankfully said nothing   
else.   
  
In a far corner of the room where they were seated, Michiru raised   
her cup to meet Yaten's and promptly sipped the contents to quell her   
nerves from acting up.   
  
Tonight was the night when everything would ended. Running through   
the plan in her mind again, she faked a smile to mask her hidden   
intentions from her companion.   
  
Michiru had earlier surprised Yaten with a visit to his office.   
She had noticed his discomfort at her presence and he had almost chased   
her away. She did however notice a couple of things, him shutting down   
his computer at her barging into his office and a safe kept close to his   
desk -- the model of which she memorised in her heart. He was almost   
angry at her but with her charms turned on, he couldn't stay like that   
for long.  
  
Her mission for today was to steal his keys for his office and   
safe, pass them to a waiting Umino, and distract Yaten while his office   
was being ransacked. And to complete the first part of the mission, she   
invited him to a dance.   
  
Her hands brushed against his body to feel the budge of keys. He   
was enjoying the act too much, to her disgust, to be aware of her true   
intentions. She found it in his pants pocket and suppressed a shudder.  
  
To her chagrin, Yaten was beginning to return the favour by   
running his hands on her. She pushed him away coyly and headed back to   
their secluded seat meaningfully. He followed her like a puppy dog on a   
leash. The moment he sat down, he found his pant's leg drenched with   
beer.  
  
"I'm so sorry, sir." The obviously new waiter was panicking as he   
tried to wipe the foul stain away. His actions were thwarted when he was   
pushed away and fell onto the hard floor.  
  
He apologised fervourishly but hardly dampened the anger that the   
white haired man held for him. Michiru was slightly taken aback by the   
sudden turn of events. She did her best to try to calm down Yaten while   
she strained to remember all the details that were transmitted via her   
hidden earpiece.  
  
"Why don't you change your pants?" Michiru asked sweetly.  
  
Yaten nodded, "I'll be in my office."   
  
"I'll wait here for you." Michiru responded just as sweetly.  
  
Before he left, he remembered to give his death glare to the young   
waiter whom Michiru knew as Umino.  
  
**********************  
  
Yaten's cell phone rang before he reached his office. He answered   
it and was met with a voice muffled by voice changing device.  
  
"A hacker has just hacked into your computer. All your files have   
been transferred to me. If you want them back, be prepared to pay a   
hundred million yen."  
  
At that, the phone line was disconnected. With disbelief in his   
face, Yaten rushed into his office and turned on his computer, stained   
pants forgotten.  
  
**********************  
  
"Where did boss go?" One of Yaten's henchmen asked.   
  
"Oh, don't worry. He said he was going back to the office for a   
while." Michiru answered with a killer smile and then continued, "it's   
supposed to be a private thing and he has given specific instructions   
that no one is to bother him."  
  
Then, she batted her eyelids at him and asked, "would you be so   
kind to bring me another one of this?" She charmed, holding an empty   
glass.  
  
***********************  
  
"Damn! He's bluffing." Yaten cursed in relief as he scrolled   
through the computer screen, calling up his most important trade data   
and assuring himself that nothing was deleted.   
  
But before he could celebrate, he felt a sharp pain at his neck   
and darkness overtook him.  
  
With the door slightly ajar, Umino was in time to see Haruka   
dropping noiselessly from the air-con vent, landing conveniently behind   
Yaten and delivering a karate chop. When Yaten was unconscious, he   
quickly entered the office and locked the door behind him. "Wow. That   
was something you only get to see in movies." Umino exclaimed as his   
respect for Haruka grew a few notches more.  
  
"Learnt from the best." Haruka responded, rather pleased with   
herself. But this wasn't the time for self-congratulation. "Come on, we   
don't have much time."  
  
Umino moved swiftly. He searched through Yaten's pants pocket and   
fished out a set of keys. Then he began to try the keys on the safe.   
Once he found the right one, he pressed his ears against the safe and   
listened to the 'pulse' of the safe, as he called it, to identify the   
correct set of combinations for the lock.  
  
Haruka was not idle either. She put a disk into the computer and   
tried to download the drug dealing information onto it. It took her some   
time to figure out how to use the system but once it was downloading,   
she turned her attention to Yaten. Grabbing a rope that was tied behind   
her back, she used it to restrain Yaten to his chair. As a final touch,   
she placed a rag into his mouth to prevent him from shouting.  
  
That done, she returned to the computer and began scanning through   
some of the other files that Yaten had. There was a directory of agents,   
scheduled tasks, and financial reports -- things that she were eager to   
save into the disks that she had, only fearing that she did not have the   
luxury of time.   
  
**********************  
  
Michiru was doing her best to stall Yaten's bodyguards. It was   
apparent that after twenty minutes, they were not listening to her   
anymore.   
  
"I'm bored here. Why don't you all danced with me?" Michiru acted   
tipsily, pretending to fall over a young man.   
  
**********************  
  
"Yes, I've got it." Umino could hardly hide his euphoria of   
getting the safe to open. Inside he could see documents, cash, and even   
guns.  
  
Before he could do more, both Haruka and himself could clearly   
hear the warning that Naru provided them. "Quick! His men are coming."   
The two officers hastened their retrieval process.  
  
Naru had stationed herself at the surveillance van and was   
responsible for relaying information. And where the need arose, she   
along with Kei and Jun will form their backup. The latter two officers   
were already in the building on standby. From their reports, they were   
following the four bodyguards to the office, and Michiru was not far   
behind.  
  
Umino quickly shoved the documents in the safe into a bag.  
  
"His men are on your level."  
  
Haruka gathered her disks and threw them into her bag.  
  
"They entered the reception area. Quick!"  
  
Umino tried to pull Haruka away from the computer that was still   
downloading agents' information into a floppy disk.   
  
"Get out now!"  
  
Haruka pulled the disk out of the drive, disregarding the fact   
that the download was incomplete. Dumping it into her bag, she joined   
Umino in climbing up into the air-con vent. She barely made it up when   
the door was knocked open and the four bodyguards emerged.   
  
Umino quietly placed the metal frame back into position and they   
crawled just as quietly out of the almost battleground. When they were   
far away from being heard, Haruka reported their status to a relieved   
Naru.  
  
It turned out that when the others did not hear any sounds of   
gunshot and fighting, they quickly returned to the van, ready for the   
take off. Haruka and Umino joined them later, and the van was making its   
way to the headquarters, unobstructed.  
  
  
Author's notes:  
  
I hope you have enjoyed this new fanfic that I've written, especially   
those who have waited for me to complete this for so long. I would   
appreciate any comments you have to help me improve on this fic.   
  
Again, many thanks to my pre-readers, Cass & Albrecht Halbstein, who   
spotted my numerous grammar and spelling mistakes.  
  
Thanks for reading.  
  
GSL  
12 September 2001 


	2. Destined part 2

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners. I don't  
own Sailormoon but I'll like to own Haruka & Michiru. ^_^  
  
Warning: This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. All characters  
will retain their names but some of the characters will be manipulated  
such that they do not resemble their namesakes in the BSSM series.  
  
Previous parts available at  
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chiaty/fanfics-Moon.htm  
  
C&Cs are much appreciated.  
  
  
DESTINED  
Part 2  
  
By GSL   
  
It was twelve midnight on a weekday, a time when most would be  
resting at home, sleeping. However, the police headquarters located  
strategically at the central business district was buzzing with  
activity.  
  
A more than usual number of uniformed and non-uniformed officers  
were gathered around, dutifully carrying out their tasks and at the  
same time awaiting instructions for a coop operation.  
  
There was no mistake about it. A mounting tension was permeating  
the office based on a notion that something important was going to  
happen tonight. Contrasting starkly to this scene was a group of  
individuals slumped against their chairs, eyes closed and visibly  
tired.  
  
The leader of this group was Tenoh Haruka, the blonde hotshot who  
brought back diskettes containing incriminating evidence against Yaten.  
Setsuna had taken over from there, starting the analysis of data and  
putting up preparation for the arrest operation.  
  
Team Haruka would not be involved this time around. Unexpectedly,  
Haruka didn't seem to take offence at this decision that Setsuna had  
made. The blonde girl just nodded, informed her teammates, and flopped  
onto her chair. Soon, the others followed suit, enjoying what little  
peace and quiet the frenzied office could offer.  
  
They had done it. The initial exhilaration had turned to mental  
weariness, the adrenaline of the past few days finally catching up to  
their bodies.  
  
Haruka's short interlude was broken when Setsuna called her into  
her office. In her groggy mind, the blonde noticed that Michiru was  
also not spared.  
  
Being the last person to enter the office, Michiru closed the  
door behind her and came to stand next to Haruka. Seeing the tired  
faces on both her officers, Setsuna decided to make her speech short.  
  
"First, I would like to congratulate both of you on your  
operation. We should have no problem in getting Yaten to court. Hence,  
for the next few days, I feel that both of you should lie low a bit. We  
wouldn't want your identities to be exposed to Yaten. Having said that,  
I'm going to send both of you to Osaka for an old case."  
  
At this point, the two officers were suddenly more alert.  
  
"Haruka, you do remember the Furuhata Motoki case?"  
  
Haruka nodded. "We stopped the investigation when the Mamoru case  
came by."  
  
"Yes, and I want you and Michiru to start on it again."  
  
"Why Osaka?" Haruka asked. Her mind began recalling some of the  
facts of the murder. A white collared worker was found dead in a dump at  
one of the suburbs off Tokyo.  
  
"Furuhata's wife moved to Osaka. I thought you might want to  
speak to her again. The last time around, she was in too much grief to  
answer us properly."  
  
"I understand," Haruka added.  
  
With that, they were excused. Back into the common area, Michiru  
had wanted to ask Haruka more about the case when Umino yelled out to  
Haruka saying that someone was looking for her.  
  
Someone began to whistle when a brown haired girl strode into the  
office. Michiru noticed that this newcomer was not an unfamiliar face  
to this office. There were greetings exchanged and an explicable red  
hue that covered this new gal's cheeks.  
  
Haruka approached the tall girl and led her to her seat. The  
brunette began to take out a lunch box and a bag of clothes for Haruka,  
who accepted them gratefully.  
  
Umino noticed Michiru's confusion and began to fill in the little  
questions that she might have, "That is Makoto, and probably Haruka's  
closest friend. And by 'probably', I mean we keep teasing them being a  
couple."  
  
Michiru eyes widened and fell involuntarily onto the two friends  
so comfortable in each other's presence where Haruka had begun to dig  
in her dinner/supper earnestly.  
  
She felt obtrusive when she approached Haruka. Their conversation  
was stopped midway, and Michiru felt ridiculously like a schoolgirl  
again. "I would just like to confirm tomorrow's plans with you  
before I leave," Michiru forced out.  
  
"Meet you at 10am at Tokyo train station. We'll talk about the  
case tomorrow. You have a good night's rest." Haruka said, obviously in  
a good mood.  
  
An odd desire to hang around was lost when Haruka hadn't made the  
introductions, so Michiru announced that she would be leaving. Her  
last memory of the night was the sight of her partner laughing heartily  
with the other girl.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Haruka had surprised herself when she got up at seven in the  
morning and without the help of an alarm clock. She had expected to  
sleep later, given the late nights she suffered in the last few days.  
She was grappling with the decision on whether to get out of bed when  
a sweet aroma attacked her senses and forced her out of bed.  
  
Makoto was cooking in the kitchen, pancakes made with Kino  
family's recipe, the kind of food that Haruka would die for. Suddenly,  
the blonde realised how much she missed the brunette as she leaned  
against the wall watching her roommate.  
  
"Good morning," chirped Makoto, not breaking her concentration on  
preparing another heavenly dish.  
  
Haruka replied in kind. Feeling a bit mischievous, Haruka walked  
towards Makoto and stood close behind her. "Smells great."  
  
"Thank you." Makoto made no comment about Haruka's somewhat  
intimate position behind her.  
  
"I missed you."  
  
"You just miss my cooking."  
  
"Hey, that's not true. I miss the conversations we used to have."  
  
"What? Like asking me to clean your room or helping you to run a  
couple of errands."  
  
"You are so bad." Haruka almost pouted.  
  
With finesse, Makoto scooped up the pancakes onto a plate and  
passed it to an eager Haruka. Looking at the childlike Haruka, Makoto  
couldn't resist teasing the blonde, "Yes, I also miss the lazy bum that  
is you."  
  
"I'm such a lucky woman." Haruka replied in midst of her  
shovelling food into her mouth.  
  
"How long will you be away this time?" Makoto sat down and began  
to eat.  
  
"Two to three days. Nothing to worry about."  
  
"Is that your new partner, the green haired gal?" Makoto  
commented. Upon seeing Haruka's nod, Makoto probed further, "And you  
haven't chased her away with your stubborn and hostile temperament?"  
  
"Hey! I'm not that bad."  
  
"If I remembered correctly, you had annoyed and pushed away every  
single partner that Setsuna had chosen for you." When Haruka had not  
interrupted, Makoto continued, "Why is she so different?"  
  
Silence was her only response.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The train station was not as busy as Haruka thought it would be.  
She was early and went in search for coffee. Browsing through the  
morning papers, she caught sight of an article which spoke of Yaten Kou  
being brought in for questioning by the police.  
  
There was a little nagging voice in her mind that Yaten was being  
investigated for his drug dealings and not for the murder of Chiba  
Mamoru. Instinctively, she had begun to realise that he was not the  
mastermind behind the murder.  
  
As she frowned about the matter, she felt a tap on her shoulder  
and was met with deep blue eyes. Michiru was smiling widely at her,  
stunning Haruka for a moment. As Haruka recovered her senses, she  
realised that Michiru was dressed in a fashionable top and pants, which  
made Haruka feel underdressed in her shirt and jeans.  
  
"Good morning," Michiru began.  
  
"Morning. I've got the tickets. Let's go." Haruka spoke haltingly  
and started to walk ahead. Morning was definitely not her time of the  
day. Besides, seeing her partner had prompted Makoto's question in her  
mind again.  
  
Michiru had caught up effortlessly, making conversation on the  
way, to which Haruka grunted non-committedly.  
  
The train ride was uneventful. Michiru was silently reading the  
case file while Haruka stared at the scenery outside the window.  
She had counted thirty trees when Michiru spoke up.  
  
"Tell me about the case, from your point of view."  
  
Haruka took a moment to gather her thoughts, before she conveyed  
her analysis, "Furuhata was, by all accounts, a good man, a loving  
husband, a well-liked colleague, and a hardworking employee. He was the  
ideal Japanese man. Many that we spoke to were dumbfounded by his  
violent death."  
  
At this point, Michiru interrupted, "Found dead at a dump site by  
a worker. His hands and legs were tied with ropes, the kind used for  
mountaineering. Numerous bruises and cuts on his body. He died of   
internal  
bleeding."  
  
Haruka smiled; Michiru was all serious business now. Michiru's  
dedication to work did not pale in comparison to hers and this could be  
the reason why Haruka had let her remain by her side. Michiru was no  
sidekick, she was an equal.  
  
Looking deep into her curious eyes, Haruka drawled, "Yes. He was  
reported missing by his wife two weeks before his body was found.  
His wife was hysterical; we couldn't even speak with her for the first  
few days.  
  
It did not seem like a robbery case, given the brutality. We had  
focused on passion killing but our investigation showed that he had  
neither enemies nor foes. He was, in fact, too well-liked. After the few  
days of findings, the conclusion seemed to be a random act of  
violence."  
  
"Do you believe it?" Michiru asked, detecting the small waver in  
Haruka's voice. Michiru had slowly grown accustomed to the various  
habits that her partner has. It would dash the blonde to know it, but  
Michiru might just have her figured out.  
  
Haruka paused for a moment, surprised that Michiru had caught  
onto her thoughts so quickly. She spoke less passively this time, "I  
believe that there is always a dark side to everyone. I think that we  
have not discovered what Furuhata's hidden side was."  
  
"You don't believe in the goodness of people?" Michiru laughed.  
An intellectual conversation was something she enjoyed having with  
Haruka. With her, Michiru felt that she could talk freely about  
anything and Haruka would understand. To be blunt, they were on the  
same wavelength. Haruka was slowly opening up to her and, with each  
passing day, a new facade of the blonde was revealed, intriguing her to  
no end.  
  
"No." Pausing, Haruka tried to vocalise her thoughts, "He was  
just too good to be true."  
  
"And your instincts say..."  
  
"A premeditated murder."  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
When they arrived at Osaka, Haruka and Michiru first made a  
report to the Osaka Police HQ. Setsuna had notified her counterparts in  
advance of their arrival, so paperwork was minimal. It was just a  
formality that they had to abide to before they could start an  
investigation in another precinct.  
  
Once that was done, they had adjourned to the last listed  
whereabouts of Furuhata Minako. The house was empty, as they had  
expected. It was mid day; Minako was most likely out for work. Deciding  
that waiting outside Minako's residence was a waste of time, the  
partners began to knock on the neighbouring doors.  
  
Few had answered and when one finally did, the relief on Haruka's  
face was evident. It was a housewife, in her late twenties, still  
attractive, and before Michiru could approach, Haruka signalled for her  
to stay put.  
  
"Hello, Miss. I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you  
acquainted with a Furahata Minako?" Haruka began with the most suave  
voice that she could manage.  
  
"Minako? Doesn't she go by Aino?"  
  
Michiru noted that Haruka had not identified herself to the  
lady. She too would have to be careful not to expose herself for fear  
that the housewife would not answer as freely as she wished. But for  
the moment, she did not miss the appreciative glances the housewife was  
throwing at Haruka. Hence for now, she was content with staying at the  
sidelines.  
  
"Yes," Haruka quickly amended, as she remembered Minako's maiden  
name.  
  
Michiru could have sworn that the housewife almost swooned when  
Haruka smiled. It was interesting to see how Haruka worked. Although  
the shirt and jeans did not flatter Haruka's body, they masked her  
femininity. And with Haruka's natural male mannerism, Michiru was sure  
that few had resisted the charms of Tenoh Haruka.  
  
"She's out at work, probably be back by ten." The housewife  
replied breathlessly.  
  
"I'm a friend of hers, hasn't seen her for a long time. I'm a bit  
impatient to know how she is." Haruka shifted her body posture  
slightly. How, Michiru wasn't sure, but the housewife was becoming more  
drawn in with every word Haruka said. "I heard something terrible  
happened to her and I came all the way from Tokyo."  
  
"Oh? She did seem a little withdrawn when she first moved  
here."  
  
"That's bad."  
  
The sadness in the blonde's voice prompted the housewife to offer  
more information, hoping to cheer this handsome stranger. "But slowly  
she began to open up, especially when that Kenji started to come by her  
place."  
  
"Kenji?" Haruka probed.  
  
"Her boyfriend, I guess. He drops by every couple of days."  
  
"Does anyone other than Kenji visit her?" Haruka asked  
conversationally.  
  
"Nope. Are you wooing her?" There was a jealous glint in the  
housewife's eyes as the words spilt out.  
  
"No, no." Haruka laughed dismissively. "Just an old friend. Do  
you know where she works?"  
  
"Yes." The housewife scribbled the address on the paper that  
Haruka passed to her, her eyes not leaving Haruka's.  
  
"Thanks for all your help." Haruka finished, taking the paper and  
making a show of kissing the housewife's hand as appreciation.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"I didn't know you are such a flirt."  
  
Haruka smiled slightly. She was driving a rented car towards a  
shopping mall where Minako's boutique was housed. She did not miss the  
surreptitious glances that Michiru was favouring her. When she could  
take it no longer, she had casually asked Michiru what was bothering  
her.  
  
And that was the answer that Haruka gotten.  
  
"What made you think I wasn't?" Haruka asked.  
  
It was not shocking to know that Haruka flirted, but to see it  
first hand and the finesse with which she handled herself... it was   
oddly  
contrasting with the image of Haruka in her mind. "Well, you always  
seem so distant. Untouchable." Michiru mused. "How can you act so nice  
and understanding to a stranger but not to your teammates?"  
  
"I do not." Haruka said as she brought the car to a stop before a  
traffic junction. She turned to her side facing her green-haired  
partner, thinking that this conversation was not going to end soon.  
  
"Who gave me a cold shoulder on my first day of work?"  
  
"So, you want me to be attentive to you?" Haruka intoned  
seductively.  
  
"No, that was not what I meant." Michiru could feel her face  
flushing.  
  
"I don't know. You seem to be interested in learning more about  
me." Haruka inched closer and Michiru felt oddly trapped. "What would  
you do if I flirted with you on your first day of work?"  
  
There was no way she could have prevented it. Her heartbeat  
hastened, her face red, she was generally speechless in face of  
Haruka's amorous attention.  
  
"So do you want to find out?" Haruka breathed, letting her charm  
pour out, coming so close that she could smell the sweet scent of  
Michiru.  
  
Having Haruka so close to her was causing a rapture of feelings  
so alien and exciting at the same time. She did not push her away, her  
mind forgetting that her hands could drive away this maddening skirt  
chaser.  
  
But then, in a second, it was gone. From behind, car horns had  
shrilled annoyingly at their stationary vehicle when the traffic light  
turned green. Haruka, in an uncharacteristically good mood, chuckled  
and revved the car's engine as if nothing had happened.  
  
Michiru tried to muster her anger at the blonde to tone down her  
embarrassment but it was for naught.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The boutique wasn't crowded when the two officers arrived at the  
scene. Racks of clothes lined the shop where a couple of teenagers  
browsed through them. Not far behind the teenagers stood a slightly  
older raven haired lady, a salesgirl. Another 'salesgirl' guarded the  
cash register. Her long blonde hair was a definite give-away for Haruka.  
  
A bell chimed as the partners entered the store. Aino Minako  
looked up from reading a book and greeted the striking couple that just  
came in. She got out of her seat, preparing to aid the potential new  
customers. She was slightly bewildered when the pair seemed to stride  
purposefully towards her, ignoring the clothes that the boutique  
offered.  
  
A sense of dread settled deep in her belly as they neared. She  
thought she recognised the blonde one from somewhere.  
  
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Furuhata." Haruka was doing the speaking  
now. The wince in Minako's expression when she said her name was  
noteworthy. Haruka continued her speech but kept the information in her  
memory bank for further analysis later on. "I'm Tenoh Haruka. We have  
met before. I was the officer in charge of your husband's case."  
  
A light of recognition flashed in Minako's eyes, but she remained  
quiet, sensing that the blonde was not finished.  
  
"This is Kaioh Michiru, my partner. If you don't mind, we would  
like to ask a couple of questions."  
  
It took Minako a few moments to gather her thoughts. As her words  
flowed out, the ache in her heart deepened. "Please call me Minako. Can  
we go to a coffee house to speak?" She was obviously uncomfortable in  
their presence and she wasn't prepared to taint her new life with bad  
memories.  
  
"Of course. Will you lead the way?" Haruka asked.  
  
Minako nodded. She went over to the other salesgirl, whispered a  
few words, and left. As her heart burned with quiet turmoil, she led the  
two officers to a coffee house that she knew wasn't crowded.  
  
After they had seated themselves, with drinks ordered and  
pleasantries exchanged, the atmosphere was almost tensed. Haruka and  
Michiru sat next to each other, facing Minako, who seemed to grow   
nervous  
as seconds trickled.  
  
Out of sight, Michiru slowly reached for Haruka's hand and gave  
it a squeeze, silently requesting that she would do the questioning.  
When she felt Haruka's acknowledgement, she withdrew her hand and began  
the interrogation.  
  
"We have come here to learn more about your husband and we would  
appreciate any information you have for us." The softness in Michiru's  
voice was calculated to calm Minako. Michiru knew that Haruka's blunt  
words or even her charming persona could do little against a grieving  
wife.  
  
Minako seemed to be locked in a world of her own. Memories of the  
past flushed back to her; the happy times, the sad, all returning to  
torture the widow. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Funny,  
she thought she had run out of tears long time ago.  
  
Minako could not bring herself to meet the investigator's eyes,  
for she was sure that pity would loom there. She detested the weakling  
she had become. She didn't want to be pitied and treated like a fragile  
piece of glass that would be broken any minute. The new Aino Minako was  
a strong person and she was searching for that resolute self again.  
  
"What I knew, I've spoken to her months ago." Minako finally  
said, indicating Haruka.  
  
"We know that this is painful. And I personally know that even  
when months have passed, the pain still exists." Michiru pleaded.  
"Furuhata was a good man. He was well liked by everyone who knew him.  
He was a good husband, but life was too unfair to you and him. We want  
to catch the culprit. We need your help."  
  
It hurt so much. She didn't want to be reminded and that was why  
she moved to this new town. But could she really start anew?  
  
Minako had barely moved during her speech. It was as if Michiru  
was speaking to a wall, but she would not be deterred. She could see  
the hurt that death had dealt to the girl barely twenty-five years of   
age.  
  
Stretching her hand across the table and closing around Minako's  
shaking hands, Michiru coaxed, "We are here to help you find closure.  
Help us help you."  
  
Minako looked up with tear-filled eyes. She could almost hear  
Motoki whispering to her, asking her not to cry and to be strong. And   
she  
knew that by trying to forget him was not doing justice to their past.  
The person who had shattered their happiness had to be caught. With  
newfound determination, she nodded once, indicating that she was  
willing to speak now.  
  
After sharing a brief smile, Michiru treaded carefully. "Furuhata  
was quite a cutie. It won't be surprising to know that there were many  
girls after him."  
  
"Yes." Minako could almost remember the first few times that they  
met. Even if he was always surrounded by girls, she was undaunted and  
finally gathered her courage to approach him. They had hit it off  
successfully and were officially dating in a month's time. The girls  
would still flock to him and she would get jealous. But he had always  
made it up to her in some way or another. "He was a very nice person.  
Even though he didn't like the attention the girls were showering him   
with,  
he didn't object outright for fear of hurting them. He was that kind of  
a guy."  
  
Noting the wistfulness in Minako's voice, Michiru probed further,  
"Was there any suitor that was particularly persistent?"  
  
"All of them were persistent. We had arguments over it. But when  
we got married, the girls left him alone." There was a bitter smile on  
Minako's lips.  
  
"Before he disappeared, did he act differently from usual? Tired?  
Short temper?"  
  
Again, a pause. "No, he didn't."  
  
"Did he keep secrets from you?"  
  
There was a nervous laugh. "I wouldn't know what I don't know."  
  
"He did." She could sense that this was the answer that Minako  
had refrained from saying. From Minako's expression, Michiru saw a hurt  
that was different from the death of a loved one.  
  
"It was silly. He was always a sweet guy, attentive and loving,  
the best husband that one could imagine. But..." Minako tried to check  
her feelings, letting her logic take over her heart.  
  
"What?" Her sixth sense told her that this was something  
important. Haruka had been right. Everyone had a dark side, and Michiru  
was on the road to discover what secret this seemingly good man held.  
  
"He used to have frequent nightmares. I could see that it affected  
him badly." Closing her eyes, Minako could still see him, face drenched  
with sweat and eyes haunted with fear. "I knew that there was something  
wrong. Nobody was supposed to have nightmares every other day. But no  
matter how hard I tried, he would not share his fear with me." The pain  
in her heart intensified but she willed herself not to cry.  
  
Haruka, having stayed silent all along, could not stop herself  
from asking, "Did he say anything during his sleep? Anything that would  
indicate what his nightmare was about."  
  
"Nothing." It was a past not too long ago when Minako would stay  
up in the night and watch Motoki sleep. There would be a moment of  
peace, then rapid eye movement, and labourious breathing, and Motoki   
would  
bolt up from his sleep, inconsolable.  
  
The two officers looked at each other, trying to gain an  
understanding. The short answer and Minako's troubled eyes spoke  
volumes to Michiru. Theirs was not a perfect marriage as everyone  
thought so. "This strained your relationship?"  
  
Minako spoke, neither confirming nor denying Michiru's question.  
"We promised to share our lives together, but he... It hurts."  
  
"When did the nightmares begin? Did they end?" They had to know  
more about these nightmares; this fact was certain to Michiru.  
  
"It seemed that he had them forever. Ironically, the frequency of  
the nightmares dropped the month before his disappearance. "  
  
"Do you know why?" Michiru probed.  
  
"He started to visit a shrine."  
  
When Minako didn't speak further, it alerted Michiru that the  
shrine was a painful subject. "Is there more that you can tell us?"  
  
"There was a shrine maiden. I think he went to her for spiritual  
advice." Minako's voice was wavering.  
  
"About the nightmare?" Michiru softly asked. She was well aware  
that Minako was reaching her limits. The blonde would break down  
in tears soon.  
  
Minako nodded.  
  
"Do you have the address and the name of this shrine maiden?"  
  
Another nod.  
  
Haruka passed a pen and paper to Minako, who wrote the details  
quickly, which marked the end of the session. The two officers had  
wanted to escort the blonde back to her boutique but their offer was  
declined. Instead, Minako preferred to stay a little longer at the  
crowd-less coffee house.  
  
As they walked towards the exit, sounds of uncontrollable sobs  
travelled to their ears, causing Michiru to stop in her tracks. Looking  
at her partner, Haruka steeled her emotions, taking Michiru's hand and  
guiding themselves back to their parked car.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"That's the end of my report." Haruka spoke her goodbyes and set  
the telephone down. With Setsuna's instructions in mind, she turned  
back to look at Michiru. Her partner was lying on the bed, eyes open  
and staring at the ceiling of their hotel room.  
  
Haruka sighed, walked the short distance to Michiru's bed, and  
sat down. "I've reported our findings to Setsuna. She told us to stay  
here for a couple of days before returning."  
  
Michiru mumbled something in acknowledgement and did not speak  
further.  
  
The silence made Haruka feel lost. Her bed looked invitingly at  
her, as did the television set, but she knew that this wasn't the time  
for those. "Say, why don't we go out and discover Osaka?"  
  
When Michiru did not respond, Haruka tried again, "Come on, what  
do you like to do? And we go try it here." In the prolonged pause that  
followed, Haruka wondered why she had bothered to worry about the  
melancholy Michiru. She was about to give up when Michiru finally  
spoke up. "You will go anywhere with me?"  
  
"Yes." Haruka quickly replied, happy for a response.  
  
"Then, I know of one place." A glint shone in Michiru's eyes  
which prompted fear to flutter in Haruka's stomach.  
  
Michiru had insisted on driving and by refusing to tell where she  
wanted to go, Haruka had no choice but to let her partner have her way.  
In a way, she was happy that Michiru had argued with her; it showed  
that she was taking an interest in something.  
  
Since her mind was free to wander, she thought of what had caused  
the dispirited reaction in Michiru. She remembered Michiru's earlier  
words "I personally know that even when months have passed, the pain  
still exists." Then, as if a light bulb had lighted, Haruka realised  
that seeing Minako so depressed must have reminded Michiru of that  
pain. At the thought, Haruka sneaked a glance at the driver and could  
not stop wondering who had caused her so much pain.  
  
The large shopping mall came in sight but Haruka was too  
distracted to notice. It was only when Michiru drove into the  
underground carpark that Haruka realised, they had arrived.  
  
With the car parked, Haruka followed Michiru to the entrance of  
the mall. What greeted them was a sight of beautiful Christmas  
decorations -- an exquisitely decorated Christmas tree towering at  
three stories tall looming in the middle of the mall, and little angels  
dangling in mid air -- and sounds of carolling permeating the building.  
  
The couple were first drawn to the performers on stage, giving a  
beautiful rendition of "White Christmas", even if their pronunciations  
were slurred. Michiru was slowly humming to the tune, and Haruka was  
truly glad that they were outside instead of the gloomy hotel room.  
  
Haruka had almost forgotten Christmas was approaching. The past  
few weeks had been draining on her and the idea of indulging in a well-  
deserved break seemed very tempting. The season of joy and laughter was  
just the best time for her to relax.  
  
It didn't take her long to realise that Michiru's humming had  
stopped. In fact, the girl was looking at her in an odd sort of way, as  
if appraising her. Defensively, Haruka was about to ask "what's wrong"  
when she was pulled rudely away from the stage.  
  
Like a well trained puppy, she followed Michiru in and out of  
numerous shops, watching Michiru fitted in more than 20 sets of  
dresses, each one no less beautiful. When Michiru had acquired a number  
of clothing, she seemed to shift her attention to looking for clothes  
for Haruka. Haruka was a little embarrassed by the attention that  
Michiru was showering her with, but surprisingly she found herself   
enjoying  
this little trip.  
  
"You don't really like shopping, do you?" Michiru asked when  
Haruka refused to try on the dress that Michiru had picked for her for  
the seventh time.  
  
"Truthfully, no. I don't really like it. The crowd puts me off."  
Haruka sheepishly replied. She dragged Michiru out of the boutique and  
told her that she should not try to change her wardrobe.  
  
"So, then what do you like to do?" Michiru asked exasperatedly.  
  
Haruka thought for a moment. Her eyes glinted mischievously. She  
remembered seeing the shop somewhere during Michiru's frantic shopping.  
"Would you accompany me?"  
  
When Michiru nodded, Haruka spared no further details and led her  
to her choice of enjoyment.  
  
The noise level, while not loud enough to be deafening, was  
definitely not easy on the ears. For Haruka, it was sweet music. She  
took out a wad of yens, exchanged it for tokens, and promptly  
returned to Michiru's side.  
  
Michiru was observing the hangout. Strictly speaking, the arcade  
was an alien place to her. Of course, she had been to one of these, but  
she could never understand why one would spend so much money on these  
gaming machines.  
  
She followed Haruka through the lines of machines before Haruka  
found the one that she was searching for. Of course, it was an F1 racing  
game. She understood it perfectly now. Under Haruka's cajole, she too  
took one of the driver's seats beside Haruka.  
  
The race began and pinned Michiru against Haruka. At first,  
Michiru had difficulty in controlling her animated car, but slowly she  
was getting the hang of it. Haruka, being gentlemanly, had allowed  
Michiru to finish the circuit once before she began pressing down on  
the accelerator.  
  
They played a couple more times, and the outcome was always the  
same -- Haruka wearing the smug look, reminding Michiru how arrogant  
the blonde can be.  
  
Next, they proceeded to those shooting games, which Michiru fared  
better. Instead of playing competitively against each other, they were  
cooperating. Being the marksman that they were, they had drawn a fair  
share of onlookers and had successfully entered into the list of top  
twenty players. After that, the teal-haired girl had to admit that the  
imaginary world of cops and robbers weren't too bad.  
  
After three thousand yen was flushed down the drain, Haruka was  
sated. They left the arcade, in search of a late dinner.  
  
"Haruka, look at this." Michiru said, gazing intently at a window  
display. The excitement in Michiru's voice was unmistakable. Haruka had  
learned to know that this meant another acquisition that Michiru must  
have. She followed the girl's gaze and saw a white gold necklace.  
Strung to it was a skillfully sculpted miniature dolphin.  
  
"It's beautiful." Michiru sighed.  
  
"You want it?" Haruka found that Michiru's wistful expression was  
more attention grabbing than the necklace was.  
  
"No, it's too expensive."  
  
After a look at the price tag, Haruka had to agree. Acting  
nonchalantly, Michiru tore Haruka away from the window display and  
searched for the restaurant that they had agreed on.  
  
It wasn't long before they were detoured again. This time, it was  
a photo sticker machine.  
  
"But it's no fun taking the picture alone."  
  
Haruka gawked when Michiru pouted. Reluctantly she obliged and  
felt Michiru leaned nearer to her in front of the camera. Under  
Michiru's insistence, she awkwardly put her hand over her shoulder and  
tried to smile.  
  
At dinner, both of them were admiring the photos. They had  
split the 8 stickers between themselves for keepsake purposes. There  
was an inexplicable feeling when Haruka looked at the photos. There  
was a rush of blood and then a total unease with herself when she  
realised that she was staring at Michiru more than she should.  
  
On the other hand, Michiru didn't seem to notice Haruka's  
turmoil. It was a long day and it had been such a long time since   
she was totally comfortable with another person. In fact, she  
was delighted to realise that she was becoming fast friends with her  
partner.  
  
Notwithstanding the different thoughts that were on their minds,  
they continued to enjoy the rest of the evening in each other's  
company. And it was indeed a memorable evening.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The next day, Haruka found herself sleeping in later than usual.  
A glance at the clock showed that it was almost 11 am. Another glance  
showed that her partner was not on her bed. However, the rushing sounds  
of a shower alerted her as to Michiru's whereabouts.  
  
Contentedly, she remained in bed. Her tired muscles were  
steadfastly ignoring the stirrings of a growling stomach. She was about  
to fall asleep again when she heard soft singing coming from the  
washroom.  
  
"Michiru's singing is nice" was her only thought, before she  
began to hum along with her partner. Haruka was enjoying Michiru's  
impromptu performance when a thought suddenly struck her mind.  
  
This was the second day of their holiday, and what were they going  
to do? Sightseeing was an option but, considering Michiru being a  
shopoholic, shopping was another option. As her brain wrestled between  
the two options, she realised belatedly that it was as if she was  
planning for a date. After a nervous laugh, she decided that Michiru  
could make the final decision.  
  
It was at this time when the door bell rang. Puzzled, Haruka got  
up and wondered who it could be. Glancing through the peephole, she  
noticed an unfamiliar young man carrying a bouquet of roses. She  
opened the door and was ready to send him away.  
  
The young man looked surprised when Haruka presented herself in  
the doorway. He glanced at the door number again and confirmed that he  
had gotten the right door. What he did not expect was to see this  
androgynous-looking man dressed in a tracksuit, staying in his  
girlfriend's room. After internally debating for a few seconds, he  
asked, "Is Kaioh Michiru staying here?"  
  
Before he got answered, he spied a bathrobe-clad Michiru coming  
out from the washroom. His brain began to run through a couple of  
implications at the sight before him and jealousy began to consume him.  
  
Michiru was the first one to speak. "Seiya! What are you doing  
here?" She was truly astonished to see him and did not notice the dark  
glare that he was giving Haruka.  
  
"You don't want me to be here?" He asked coldly.  
  
"Don't be silly. Have you met my partner?"  
  
"I thought you said your partner was a female." There were a  
couple of things that he noticed in the short interval. One, Michiru  
was standing too closely behind the blonde. Two, they looked very  
comfortable with their closeness. Three, Haruka was glaring daggers at  
him while Michiru acted as if nothing had happened.  
  
Haruka was irritated, to say the least. The young man's curt  
remarks were not earning points in his favour. Besides, with his  
thoughtless assumption that she was a male, she could hardly keep  
quiet. "My name is Tenoh Haruka and I am very much female."  
  
Seiya was thrown offguard. He unabashedly scrutinised the blonde  
before him before Michiru interrupted. She quickly introduced Seiya to  
Haruka and teased them both for the gender issue. She finally caught on  
to the animosity between her boyfriend and her partner and was trying to  
lighten up the situation. But first impressions did count.  
  
Before long, she was packing her bags and making a return trip to  
Tokyo with Seiya. Haruka didn't seem to mind and had expressed her  
intention to stay for another day before returning. But Michiru knew  
that all was not well.  
  
On the trip back, Seiya did notice that Michiru was ignoring him.  
He apologised. In return, Michiru chided him for not trusting her.  
  
"I saw a man opening the door and you were hardly dressed, so I  
jumped to conclusions. I'm sorry."  
  
"Humph!"  
  
Michiru was giving him the cold shoulder again. They had had  
many petty quarrels over the years. None of those felt as bad as the one  
they were having now. "I care for you. That's why I got jealous."  
  
"You get jealous too easily."  
  
He realised that what she said was true. He knew he felt  
insecure about the relationship. There was always a feeling that she  
would leave him, and he could never get rid of that feeling. But he  
loved her too much to let her go. "Okay, tell me, what can I do to make  
you like me again?"  
  
"Apologise."  
  
"I did that already."  
  
"To Haruka."  
  
In the end, it was all about Haruka. Was she angry that he made  
her angry or he made Haruka angry? "Why am I getting the feeling that  
Haruka is an important person to you."  
  
"Nonsense. This is called common courtesy."  
  
Maybe he was being unreasonably jealous, but he did feel  
threatened by Haruka. He could not brush off the memory of that scene  
he had walked into earlier or the gentleness in Michiru's voice when  
she spoke to her or the obvious concern she had for the blonde. He was  
becoming too suspicious, but maybe he was finally losing Michiru. Until  
that day, he needed to make up with Michiru, so he promised that he  
would apologise the next time he saw Haruka.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Two days had passed since the Osaka incident. It was the first  
day of work when both Haruka and Michiru reported for duty. The moment  
their eyes met, awkwardness loomed. Michiru tried to brush away the  
feeling by engaging in a conversation with Haruka, but the blonde  
decided to become uncooperative with her one-word vocabulary.  
  
For the rest of the morning, Michiru could feel that Haruka was  
avoiding her. She was becoming distant again, which made Michiru  
frustrated. Before things could get more out of hand, they were sent on  
a mission to interview the shrine maiden that Minako spoke of.  
  
As always, Haruka was doing the driving. The silence in the car  
was agitating Michiru even more, until finally she decided she had  
reached her limits. "Why do you act so distant today?"  
  
It was a moment before Haruka replied, "What are you talking  
about? It's the same me."  
  
She could sense that Haruka was lying. They had gone past the  
stage where Haruka treated her like an enemy. "Are you still mad at  
Seiya? He was honestly mistaken and he apologises for his rude  
behaviour."  
  
"I am not angry at him." Haruka said levelly.  
  
"Then, you are angry at me?"  
  
"No."  
  
The lack of emotions in Haruka's voice irked her. Michiru  
almost felt helpless. "I don't understand why it bothers me so much.  
The last time we met, we were having fun. And now you are either  
ignoring me or avoiding me."  
  
"You are being too sensitive."  
  
"Is it." It was a statement, not a question. The blonde remained  
silent and Michiru felt the anger she never felt before. She was angry   
at  
Haruka for being so petty and, at the same time, mad at herself for  
caring so much.  
  
It was sufficient to say that there were no other words exchanged  
during the remaining trip to the Hikawa shrine.  
  
They had found Hino Rei easily. After the initial introductions,  
they were led to a room where they could engage in a private  
conversation.  
  
"We..."  
  
Both officers spoke at the same time. Rei raised an eyebrow as she  
began to scrutinise them. The blonde motioned the teal-haired officer  
to continue. The blonde was rather handsome and when they first walked  
in, Rei thought they made a very cute couple. That was before she saw  
the troubled looks on their faces.  
  
Officer Kaioh Michiru began, "We understand from Mrs. Furuhata  
that Mr. Furuhata Motoki used to come to this shrine." When Rei nodded,  
Michiru continued, "Are you aware of his death?"  
  
"Yes, I heard it from the news."  
  
"We need your help in our investigation on his death."  
  
"How may I help?"  
  
"His wife told us that Furuhata had nightmares. Recurring ones.  
And he used to come here and confide with you." Michiru decided to cut  
the chase and asked straightforwardly.  
  
"I knew that there was something troubling him, but he never did  
tell me what it was about. Sometimes he would just pray and meditate  
for hours, and when I asked him, he just smiled and shook his head."  
  
"Then, what do you know about him?" Haruka asked.  
  
Rei pondered over the question before she spoke, "He was quiet  
and collected. His eyes were blood shot at times, but always full of  
pain. Of the few times that he did speak to me, he talked about his  
family and work, dispensable details that one would give freely. But  
there was a particular instance when I noted that there was a scratch  
mark on his face and it was from his wife."  
  
"His wife beat him?" Haruka interrupted.  
  
"He never did confirm. There was a quarrel, that much I know. So  
I guessed it must have gone out of hand."  
  
"What was it about?"  
  
Rei thought for a moment, "He suspected that she was having an  
affair."  
  
Both officers sat up at the revelation. "Any other details?"  
  
"I think he was drinking that night, but he seemed sober enough.  
He was raving about the unfairness in life, and the talk about an affair  
actually came out as a slip of the tongue. After that, he shut himself  
up and left as abruptly as he came. That was the last time I saw  
him. I guess he couldn't find the peace of mind that he came seeking  
for. Two weeks later, he was reported dead."  
  
It was all the information that they could get from Rei. As a  
gesture, Michiru requested for some moments to pray at the shrine.  
This left Haruka alone with Rei out in the large courtyard.  
  
Rei was good at observing people. The uneasiness between the two  
officers was so apparent. They avoided looking at each other and any  
physical contact with each other. It didn't take Rei long to notice the  
hidden deep feelings that were budding between the two.  
  
Against her better judgement, Rei interrupted their silence as  
she spoke obscurely, "Love is a wonderful thing. It doesn't happen  
lightly. If you miss the chance, you may regret it forever."  
  
"Why are you telling me this?" Haruka asked defensively as she  
noted that Michiru was finished and was walking towards them.  
  
"You have fallen hard. Don't give it up."  
  
There was a look of shock on Haruka's face which prompted Michiru  
to ask what happened. Haruka quickly brushed the question away, not  
willing to indulge in the repercussions in the shrine maiden's  
statement.  
  
The two left in a hurry, mainly because Haruka was pulling  
Michiru away. When they were a safe distance away, Haruka let go of  
Michiru's hand and walked briskly towards her car, Michiru a few steps  
behind.  
  
"Haruka, I'm sorry for the outburst earlier."  
  
The blonde stood dead in her tracks, not turning to face her  
partner.  
  
"I want us to be friends again."  
  
Rei's words continued to haunt her. Was she in love? Was it so  
apparent that Makoto had teased her about it and now a stranger was  
telling her that she was in love? Haruka couldn't be sure. What she  
knew was that she felt bad about shutting Michiru out of her life. The  
morning was full of uneasiness and she was not happy.  
  
"Are you listening to me?" Michiru appeared in front of the  
blonde and asked in all her tenderness. She caught the intent look in  
Haruka's eyes and felt that something was brewing. To lighten the mood,  
Michiru smiled, sticking out a hand, "Let's start again. I'm Kaioh  
Michiru. Can I be your friend?"  
  
Haruka could not resist the smile. It felt odd, but her hand met  
Michiru's on its own accord. Michiru was smiling widely now, and it was  
then that the blonde realised that she would not be happy without  
Michiru's friendship.  
  
Or maybe even more...  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Come on, Haruka. Unwind yourself." Umino laughed tipsily.  
  
The blonde winced slightly as she felt a slap on the back that  
the young lad had unwittingly thrown at her. She pulled at her bowtie  
again, feeling totally uncomfortable and out of place in this ballroom  
of a hotel.  
  
Her tuxedo was borrowed. Makoto had insisted that she dressed  
herself up for this special occasion called Dinner and Dance but,  
personally, Haruka could hardly care less. Given that she would rather  
be caught dead than in a dress, she had to put up with the confining  
tux.  
  
Almost the whole police department had attended the event; she  
supposed it was the wine that attracted them. And there was a lot of  
alcohol; many of her colleagues were already drunk. Haruka, however,  
preferred to exercise discipline and confined herself to a few glasses.  
  
Her conversations for the night seemed to be bland and forced.  
In a nutshell, she was not enjoying herself.  
  
As she finally decided to leave, she heard the faint voice of  
Hotaru calling out to someone.  
  
"Michiru, you are late."  
  
In reflex, the blonde turned towards the source of the voice and  
beheld a vision of loveliness. Michiru was dressed in a strapless gown,  
simple and elegant. She carried a grace as she walked towards Hotaru,  
oozing of sexiness that dazzled everyone in the room.  
  
It was a moment before Haruka recovered her sense of speech. By  
this time, Michiru had found her and was standing beside her.  
  
"Are you enjoying the evening?"  
  
"It's okay." Haruka gulped the drink that she was still holding,  
feeling unusually hot in her tuxedo.  
  
"I wanted to come earlier but Seiya was delayed." Michiru said as  
she brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ears.  
  
Haruka tried to control her composure, "Where is he?"  
  
"Parking. He told me to come in first since we were already so  
late."  
  
Haruka made an acknowledging nod. As a waiter passed by, she  
swopped her empty glass for another round of tequila. Before she could  
get any further, she was stopped by Michiru's soft touch who took the  
glass and drank it herself.  
  
The blonde watched wide-eyed at her partner who had devoured the  
full contents in one gulp.  
  
"What?" Michiru asked as she noticed Haruka's expression. "I was  
thirsty."  
  
To that, Haruka couldn't help but chuckle. However, her mood  
quickly darkened as some of her male colleagues came approaching Michiru  
for a dance.  
  
As she thought that she would be left alone again, she felt  
Michiru grab her arms and heard her say, "I'm sorry guys, but I promised  
a dance with my partner first."  
  
That was how Haruka landed on the dance floor with Michiru  
swaying beside her. They had done this before and, this time around,  
there were no distractions.  
  
"Why are you so quiet?" Michiru asked.  
  
"Don't know what to say."  
  
"You look very handsome tonight."  
  
Haruka wasn't sure but she thought she saw a slight blush  
light up Michiru's face as she said that. "Thank you. You too." Haruka  
thought for a moment and quickly amended. "Uhm, beautiful, I mean."  
  
"You feel so stiff. Uptight."  
  
The words rang true to her ears and she could only smile and  
wished that Michiru would let it go, which she did as another dancing  
couple accidentally bumped into them.  
  
To break her fall, Haruka held Michiru closer that no distance  
remained. The other couple apologised and continued dancing. Haruka and  
Michiru stared at each other, giddy and confused.  
  
It was Michiru who moved first, breaking eye contact. She  
prompted Haruka to sway along with the music and maintained a slight  
distance as they continued dancing. No words were exchanged now, the  
silence too sacred to be broken.  
  
It was an unmistakable moment. Michiru felt a rush so alien that  
she couldn't comprehend. Her sensations, all illogical, threatened to  
overcome her as the blonde's perfume continued to intoxicate her.  
  
Haruka was quite aware of how much distance there was between  
Michiru and her, which wasn't much. All her resolve was needed to  
propel her mind away from the beautiful creature that she was holding.  
And she was barely succeeding.  
  
It seemed that everything had changed. For Haruka, the softness  
of Michiru's touch was slowly crumbling the wall inside her, leaving  
her vulnerable and raw. For Michiru, it was an attack on her emotions.  
All her beliefs were being challenged and this androgynous blonde was  
the cause of it.  
  
This moment so powerful and awakening was cruelly interrupted by  
Michiru's real date for the night. Seiya cut in and Haruka reluctantly  
relinquished her hold of a confused Michiru to her boyfriend.  
  
The sense of loss was great. Haruka eyed the dancing couple on  
the floor with sadness and jealousy. She thought she had felt a  
connection with Michiru then, and to lose it so abruptly...Haruka could  
hardly remain in the ballroom. Her decision made, she left the party  
without noticing a pair of blue orbs trailing after her longingly.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The next day of work was hell for many. Hangover was the order of  
the day. Most were moody and short tempered, so it was a rare  
circumstance that the department was as quiet as a mouse.  
  
This suited Haruka fine. She was reviewing the Furuhata Motoki  
case and going through Minako's and Rei's testimonies. There was  
something inconsistent about the whole affair. Someone was lying  
and she really needed the peace to analyse the case. And, of course,  
she needed the distraction away from her beautiful partner.  
  
Back to the case, her brain reprimanded. Logic took over. What  
did she find out? The marriage wasn't perfect. According to Rei, Minako  
hit Motoki. Why? Was he having an affair? Or..  
  
Minako did say that Motoki used to have girls after him but it  
stopped. Haruka remembered the first time she met the grief-stricken  
wife. She knew for a fact that Minako loved him. But...  
  
He was unhappy. What would make a man unhappy? Money or love. He  
wasn't rich but well-to-do, with a promising career. So it had to be  
love.  
  
Minako has a boyfriend now, just three months after his death.  
Could she be the one having an affair?  
  
Haruka shook her head. She was jumping to conclusions again. She  
took another sip of the coffee to clear her mind. Looking up from her  
file, she saw the emptiness that filled her partner's table. Michiru  
was on leave for the day and the idea of not seeing Michiru  
discomforted her in some way.  
  
No. She was not going there again. Concentrate on the case, she  
told herself.  
  
The nightmare, it was important somehow. The frequency he was  
having it indicated obvious trauma. It had to be repressed memories.  
She needed to find out more about his past.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
In another part of the town, Michiru was facing her past. Laying  
the flowers on the tomb, she paid her respects to her dead parents. It  
was their death anniversary and as always a gloomy day for Michiru.  
  
She had always done this alone. It was the way she preferred.  
This was the day that she would unload all her worries and recent  
developments onto them.  
  
She told them of Seiya, of her job at Toyko P.D, and lastly of  
Haruka. She was confused, she told them. The feelings she had for the  
blonde felt so right and wrong at the same time.  
  
It was ironic in a way that she would never have said these  
things to her parents if they were still alive but here she was telling  
them that she was in love with her handsome female partner.  
  
She chuckled at the thought but her heart felt heavy.What should  
she do? Seiya was the best thing in her life, the saviour that lighted  
her darkest moments. She laughed when he laughed and cried when he did.  
They had so many shared memories, all held close to her heart. There  
wasn't a time when he wasn't there for her when she needed him. For  
that she was eternally grateful. Yet, more than that, she also loved  
him, for all his crazy antics at making her laugh, for his musical  
talents that had captured her fascination, and for always being so  
supportive of her for the past few years.  
  
Nevertheless, Haruka was an unknown variable. She didn't know  
how it happened or when it did. But this attachment to her was  
undeniable. The tingling feeling when they accidentally touched and the  
rush of blood when Haruka flirted with her -- all these little incidents  
could not be brushed off any longer.  
  
In the short time that she met Haruka, she realised that there  
was something missing in her life. It was excitement. Being with Haruka  
had brought about spontaneity, a feeling of danger that lurked behind  
those green eyes, so attractive that Michiru would willingly be the  
moth flying towards the flame and luxuriate in the glory of the heat.  
  
That was if she decided Haruka was the one for her. Michiru was  
lost. She realised that she was the same downtrodden lass as she arrived  
two hours ago. She still had so many questions. Did Haruka feel the same  
way for her? Whom did she love more? Answers that she desperately needed  
but were nowhere near within her grasp.  
  
As light began to fall, she took it as a signal to leave the  
cemetery. Taking a final bow and a final whisper, she walked away from  
the slabs.  
  
Her pace slowed as she caught sight of a woman paying respects to  
a tomb, near her exit. It was a familiar face that she couldn't put a  
name to. The ponytail, the tall build... as the memory came back to  
her, she realised that the woman, or better known as Makoto, was  
leaving.  
  
Makoto was Haruka's roommate, or lover as she was once told. She  
had never sought Haruka for clarification but, now, she regretted. Her  
turmoil began. What if Haruka already had someone else? What was she  
going to do?  
  
There were so many questions and she realised that only when some  
of them were answered, could she make the decision. She needed to speak  
to Haruka. With that resolved, she strode purposefully towards the  
exit, stopping only to sneak a peak at who Makoto was here for. The  
name of the tomb stab came as such a surprise to her that she promptly  
forgot her love problems.  
  
The name was Chiba Mamoru.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
Michiru spent the whole night thinking. No doubt about it, her  
detective instincts had kicked in. She had established that Makoto had  
known Mamoru personally and that their relationship ran deep.  
  
She had suspected that his death could be a crime of passion. Did  
Makoto have anything to do with it? Why was Haruka so adamant that it  
was the other druglords behind his murder?  
  
The lost sleep and the troubles in her mind had rendered her a  
poor companion when Seiya picked her up for work. Her words were few and  
sparse.  
  
"Is there something you should be telling me?" Seiya asked as he  
drove. He knew that there was something troubling Michiru and he wanted  
to know if she would still unload her worries unto him like she used  
to. For her to do so would mean that he could be trusted and held close  
to her heart. On the other hand, he was afraid of hearing the words that  
he didn't want to hear.  
  
His disappointment could barely be contained as he heard a  
lacklustre "nothing" coming from the mouth of his beloved. She was  
slipping further away from him; he could feel it.  
  
It was in this mood that both of them continued their journey to  
their work places, tension mounting in the air.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The first thing Michiru did when she stepped into the office was  
to request for a meeting with Setsuna, of which Haruka was excluded.  
Michiru had relayed her incidental discovery about Makoto to Setsuna.  
The chief was solemn as she heard the news.  
  
"Did you speak to Haruka?" Setuna asked. Seeing the shake of  
Michiru's head brought some level of comfort in Setsuna's heart  
but she knew this was far from over. "Michiru, I think you should know  
that this unit knows Makoto pretty well. And if you were here long  
enough, you would also notice the close bonds between Haruka and  
Makoto."  
  
Michiru averted her eyes from Setsuna, feeling the clench in her  
heart painfully.  
  
"I'm not saying anything in Makoto's defence. But you need to  
tread carefully. Emotions would run high."  
  
Michiru took a moment to collect herself, letting her detective  
persona take over. There was something Setsuna was not telling. "I need  
to know how Makoto familiarised herself with the unit."  
  
Setsuna pondered for a while, and then she replied, "She was the  
daughter of one of our officers here, Haruka's previous partner. Even  
then, she used to come to the station bringing clothes and food for her  
father when he needed to work late. After a couple of years, the unit  
was used to her presence."  
  
"Haruka's previous partner?"  
  
"Dead. And this is not a story I should be telling."  
  
"Then, whose is it to tell?" Somehow, Michiru felt that this  
knowledge was important to her. Could this be the reason why Haruka was  
so averse to her in the first place? She had known in the beginning  
that Haruka's previous partner was a taboo subject in the station and  
especially around the blonde.  
  
"Haruka's." There was a brief flash of pain in Setsuna's eyes as  
unwanted memories flooded her. In a second what Michiru saw was  
replaced with renewed resolve which complemented the command that  
Michiru received, "You have my authority to investigate one Kino  
Makoto. Leave Haruka out of it and report to me directly."  
  
Michiru knew when she was dismissed and she took the exit  
silently. She began speaking to colleagues who knew Makoto but she  
could sense that they were not forthcoming in their responses. It was  
as if the whole station was hiding a secret and she was left out of it.  
  
Deciding on another alternative, she stalked the records room,  
digging for details of Makoto's and her father's lives. As she hungrily  
consumed the new knowledge, she realised that she was no nearer to the  
truth.  
  
Records were sparse on Makoto's life. She had now known the  
girl's educational background and her work place, and that was it. Her   
dig  
into Makoto's father, Kino Kaji, was more informative. He had been with  
the station for many years. Haruka was paired up with him when she  
first joined the station. Together, they had solved numerous crimes.  
But the last case that they were on was labelled classified. It was  
also then that Kino died.  
  
"Hey."  
  
Michiru was taken aback by her partner's deep voice. She turned  
awkwardly from the computer screen towards Haruka who was standing by  
the doorway, in the empty records room.  
  
There was something in Haruka's eyes that she could not decipher,  
and her next few words were a relief as she realised that she was not  
found out. "Uhm, I was intending to go back to the crime scene. You  
wanna come?"  
  
"Crime scene?" Michiru was slightly disoriented.  
  
"Furuhata's? What are you doing here anyway?" Haruka kindly left  
out the part where she searched for her partner all over the station.  
She walked closer to Michiru as she noticed that her partner looked a  
little flustered.  
  
"Setsuna has a new assignment for me. That's all."  
  
Haruka was suspicious. More so when Michiru cleared the query on  
the computer screen when Haruka neared. Before she could get any  
closer, Michiru quickly collected her printouts from the printer and  
stashed them into a file which she held closely to herself as if afraid  
that Haruka would see them.  
  
"Come! Let's go." Michiru managed an uneasy smile.  
  
As she turned and moved ahead, she realised belatedly that she  
left one printout on the chair which Haruka picked up. From the look  
on Haruka's face, Michiru knew that Haruka had noticed that the paper  
held Makoto's particulars.  
  
"What is this?" There was some level of disbelief in Haruka's  
voice. When Michiru couldn't answer, Haruka walked the few steps  
separating them, her anger barely contained. "Why are you looking into  
Makoto's files?"  
  
Michiru turned away from her, at a loss for words. But the blonde  
grabbed her hand forcing Michiru to stare into her fiery eyes again.  
"Tell me."  
  
"This is my new assignment!" Michiru pulled away, rubbing the  
sore part where Haruka grabbed her. She could see the multitude of  
confusion on her partner's face and she knew that an explanation was  
the only way out of this situation.  
  
"Yesterday, I saw Makoto at Chiba Mamoru's grave." Michiru was  
comforted by the look of shock on Haruka's face. Unless the blonde is a  
great actress, Michiru was assured that Haruka had not acted out of  
personal feelings while in the investigation of Chiba's death. "I'm  
just trying to find out what is her connection to him."  
  
"You think she is the killer." Haruka's voice was cold.  
  
"I don't know," Michiru voiced out in frustration.  
  
"I can't believe..."  
  
Before Haruka could continue, Michiru interrupted, "that is why I  
have to investigate. Makoto could be a lead." As she tried to convince  
the blonde further, Haruka turned her back on her.  
  
The emotions running in her heart were draining her. Eyeing  
Haruka's back, this was the first time that she felt the blonde so  
unapproachable. Tears stung her eyes but she refused to let her  
weakness show. Michiru took a deep breath, trying without success to  
calm her aching heart. "You are a detective, too. You know we can't let  
go of a lead."  
  
"But this is Makoto." Haruka finally spoke and turned around to  
face her.  
  
Setsuna was right. Emotions did run high. The look on Haruka's  
face was unreadable except one thing was certain. "Why is she so  
important to you?" Haruka was always nonchalant about most things. Now  
just the idea of Makoto being a suspect got her all so worked up.  
"Is she your girlfriend?"  
  
"What?! How can you say that?" Frustrated, Haruka could hardly  
notice the hidden note of jealousy that laced Michiru's voice. Right  
now, she could only feel her heart breaking.  
  
"You're yelling at me now. Doesn't that mean anything?"  
  
"She's my best friend."  
  
"Doesn't look like it."  
  
They were staring at each other like a couple of school kids  
involved in a petty quarrel. The hurt grew more intense with every  
passing second and neither was backing down from this match. But as the  
frustration grew...  
  
"Argh! You are so stubborn. I don't even understand how I could  
have fallen for you." Haruka burst out.  
  
With the confession, both occupants fell quiet. A curse was  
muttered. Before Michiru could process the information in her  
overloaded mind, Haruka stormed out of the room.  
  
  
************************  
End Part 2  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Finally, the next part to "Destined". I apologise for the long wait. To   
all those who wrote to me asking about the next part, I fulfilled my   
promise. Part 2 is completed at last.  
  
I would also like to thank Cass & Albrecht Halbstein for their pre-reading   
efforts. My fic is made much better because of them.  
  
GSL  
gsl@bigmailbox.net  
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chiaty/fanfics-Moon.htm   
8 April 2002 


	3. Destined part 3

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners. I don't  
own Sailormoon but I'll like to own Haruka & Michiru. ^_^  
  
Warning: This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. All characters  
will retain their names but some of the characters will be manipulated  
such that they do not resemble their namesakes in the BSSM series.  
  
Previous parts available at  
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chiaty/fanfics-Moon.htm  
  
C&Cs are much appreciated.  
  
  
DESTINED  
Part 3  
  
By GSL gsl@bigmailbox.net  
  
  
  
It should have been a night like many others. Both occupants in  
the room were spending some quiet moments together with each other,  
cooking a meal to satisfy their hunger. A brown haired girl was humming  
a tune thoughtfully as she deep-fried the prawns. Her roommate, who was  
supposed to be helping, was instead staring out of the window.  
  
"Haruka, the meal is about ready," Makoto called out. A grunt of  
acknowledgement was her only response. Makoto turned towards the blonde,  
whose back was facing her, and fought back an urge to ask her what was  
wrong.  
  
Haruka could hardly see the moon and stars from her vantage point,  
them being partly hidden by the darkened clouds. The wind spoke of a  
brewing storm, mirroring the one in her heart. She thought of the day's  
events, mainly her argument with Michiru, her near confession, and the  
nagging doubt about Makoto.  
  
When she heard the stove being switched off, Haruka turned around.  
A forced smile was in place when her eyes met Makoto's. As she took her  
place at the table, a sumptuous meal awaiting her, she could imagine  
her heart exploding any minute.  
  
"So, how was your day today?" Makoto tried to sound nonchalant.  
  
"Bad."  
  
"I can see that. Want to talk?" Makoto could sense that Haruka  
was debating within herself about her offer. Haruka didn't take long to  
make her decision but Makoto almost wished that she did.  
  
"What was your relationship with Chiba Mamoru?"  
  
There was silence for a few minutes. The look of horror and  
uncertainty in Makoto's eyes was enough to justify the doubt in  
Haruka's heart. Haruka closed her eyes and rubbed her temples as the  
beginning strains of a headache appeared. With a coarse voice, she  
spoke, "if you don't want to talk about it, we can forget about the  
whole thing."  
  
Makoto smiled wryly as she shook her head. "I thought that was my  
best kept secret."  
  
"Makoto?"  
  
Looking at Haruka, who held so much worry for her, Makoto felt  
that it was only right to tell her. But then again, she sometimes  
wondered if it was out of guilt or due to their friendship that Haruka  
held her close to her heart. "When I was in high school, there was this  
senior whom I had a crush on. He was handsome and caring, the kind of  
guy that girls swoon over. I can still remember clearly the first time  
we spoke." There was a gleam of dreaminess that Haruka had never seen  
in Makoto. She knew that things could only get heavier as Makoto  
continued her monologue. "There were a couple of bullies in school who  
stopped me in school one day and demanded that I go out with one of  
them. I refused and he came to my rescue. His first words were 'are you  
alright' and I remembered it felt like he was asking me to marry him  
then."  
  
Makoto fingered her tea cup as she thought of the past. There was  
no eye contact between herself and her ardent listener. She herself was  
only concentrating on the floating tea leaves in her cup. "We fell in  
love and I was like the happiest person on Earth. Everyday was filled  
with love and joy. I..."  
  
Not a moment too soon, Makoto's tears began to flow. Haruka  
quickly offered tissue paper which Makoto gratefully took and dapped at  
her moistened eyes. This melancholy was something that Haruka never  
knew existed, prompting herself to ask if she had been a good friend  
to Makoto. Although Haruka already knew the answer, she still had to  
ask, "Do you still love him?"  
  
Makoto seemed to ponder for a moment as she gathered herself but  
there was no doubt about her words, "I can never stop loving him, my  
high school senior."  
  
"Even though he became a drug lord and dabbled in all vices?"  
Haruka tried not to sound too harsh but her distaste for the man came  
out nevertheless.  
  
Makoto smiled, the kind that embodied bitterness and regret. "In  
a way, he died that day. Even Mamoru told me that himself."  
  
From the tone on Makoto's voice, Haruka detected something out of  
the ordinary. "You are not referring to the day that he died at the  
hotel?"  
  
"No, it was way before that." Those were bad memories, things  
that Makoto felt she had been repressing all her life, coming back to  
haunt her. Even as her heart was breaking into pieces, she forged on.  
"It was his first year of university; we had been going out for a year  
before he changed. That day, we were supposed to go to the Tokyo  
Observatory Tower." She turned to face Haruka, trying to be strong,  
"You may still remember the incident. On August 18, a strong typhoon  
hit Tokyo five years ago. Many people died that day and it was also  
that day that the mighty Tokyo Tower broke."  
  
Haruka nodded her head and recalled, "A glass panel in the Tokyo  
Tower's Observatory cracked, broke apart, and fell to the ground. The  
air pressure from the typhoon sucked a girl out of the building who  
fell to her doom."  
  
Makoto nodded her head. "He was in that building that day. I was  
late. There was a blackout due to the typhoon and I was trapped in the  
subway. By the time I got there, Mamoru was saved from the building and  
the poor girl had died. He was crying and shivering. I rushed to  
comfort him but I guess I was already too late."  
  
"He changed after that. He turned to drugs and alcohol. I did  
everything I could to persuade him otherwise. He even joined the yakuza  
so that he could nurse his habit. The last straw was when I found him  
in bed with another woman."  
  
"You left him then?"  
  
"Yes, and I never sought contact since. I had tried to convince  
myself that the Mamoru that I loved has died that day on the Tokyo  
Tower."  
  
"Makoto?" Haruka voiced out of concern, implicitly offering an  
avenue for Makoto to stop her heartbreaking dialogue. Looking at her  
friend now, she knew she shouldn't have doubted Makoto. She couldn't  
have killed the man.  
  
The girl continued her rant as if she didn't hear her roommate.  
"Now he is really dead and I realise that he will never truly be dead  
as he still lives in my heart. I will never get closure. I will never  
know what changed him. I will never stop loving him."  
  
With that, Makoto broke down in inconsolable sobs, as Haruka  
quickly rushed in and took her into an embrace in a fruitless bid to  
comfort her.  
  
**********  
  
It was almost dawn. The rain was raging outside with no sight of  
the impending daybreak. Haruka stared outside of the window out of  
habit when she was deep in thought. She had finally coaxed Makoto into  
a sleep while Haruka herself was still in a mess.  
  
It was somewhat relaxing as she watched droplets of water passing  
by and the wind rattling against her window panes. She had a great  
desire to jog in the rain, knowing that the refreshing droplets and  
freezing wind would distract her from her turmoil. However, she also  
knew that getting sick right now was not a way to comfort Makoto or  
solve her problems.  
  
She turned her attention from the outside world to a small  
package sitting on her table. It was a rectangular velvet case, the  
kind used for encasing jewellery. It was an item bought out of impulse.  
Half a month of salary was spent based on a thought that the recipient  
would be delighted to have that piece of jewellery. The trouble was  
that Haruka didn't even have the guts to give it to her.  
  
Now with the sort-of love confession being spoken, Haruka was  
sure that Michiru would be disgusted with her. It was only wistful  
thinking on her part that the green-haired lass would feel anything  
more than a deep friendship for her. Besides, Michiru was conducting an  
investigation on Makoto. Haruka knew that she would do anything to  
protect her roommate and that included going against her partner.  
  
She only wished that she didn't feel this bad now.  
  
On the other side of the town, Michiru was insomniac due largely  
to her hotshot partner whom she had begun to develop feelings for.  
Replaying the scene in the records room in her mind for the umpteenth  
time, she chided herself that she should have reacted better.  
  
But then, there was a question of how she should have reacted.  
Embrace the blonde with a seal of a kiss, or reject her as she had  
committed herself to Seiya? In the end, with Haruka running away, she  
had bought herself some time to make a decision.  
  
And it was the hardest decision she had to make.  
  
Everything was running smoothly before she met Haruka. She was  
happy. She was contented. Did she dare to breach the unknown?  
Would she still remain happy and contented if she chose to ignore  
the emerging feelings she had?  
  
In any case, if Makoto proved to be guilty in the murder of Chiba  
Mamoru, Michiru doubted that Haruka would forgive her. This would  
always be a thorn in their relationship if they ever got together. If  
Michiru were to choose Seiya, the thought of what it could be with  
Haruka would torment their lives together.  
  
Not thinking coherently, Michiru almost wished that bigamy was  
legal.  
  
**********  
  
The next morning, Makoto was leaving the house for work when she  
was intercepted by Michiru and an uneasy Naru. In a few short sentences,  
she realised that they were not there for a social visit. Before she  
could get over the shock of being asked to assist in the investigation  
of the death of Mamoru, Haruka appeared by her side.  
  
"Is this necessary? I could have accompanied her to the station."  
Haruka quickly stepped in front of Makoto, ostensibly to protect her  
roommate.  
  
It was a confrontation waiting to happen. Looking at her  
beautiful partner slightly marred by dark circles under her eyes,  
Haruka pushed away all personal feelings and concentrated on protecting  
the one person she promised that she would.  
  
Michiru could have practiced this for a million times and she  
would not get this right; not with the hot gaze staring at her,  
unemotional and devoid of warmth. Anyone lesser would have backed down  
from the piercing green eyes, but there was a job to be done. Duty was  
duty. With that, Michiru renewed her resolve and, haltingly at first,  
she spoke, "This is just a normal police procedure. We are only  
bringing her in for questioning."  
  
Naru was helplessly looking at the equally stubborn partners and  
Makoto knew that no help would come from there. Before anything could  
get worse and the neighbours would start to complain about any loud  
outbursts, she quickly intervened, catching Haruka's sleeve, "Haruka,  
it's okay. It is just a quick trip to the station."  
  
Michiru abstained from saying anything else.  
  
Haruka wanted to object but knew that she was defeated. With  
nothing less than a hard edge to her voice, she declared that she would  
be coming with the trio, to which Michiru acquiesced in exasperation.  
  
The car journey was quiet. Naru was doing the driving and decided  
to fully concentrate on the task given to her. Michiru was looking out  
of the window, trying to forget about how harsh the blonde was. Haruka  
was also avoiding all contacts with Michiru. She knew she would do  
anything to help Makoto, for the sake of her dead partner, Makoto's  
father.  
  
Makoto was strangely optimistic; the air of doom didn't linger  
around her like the others. She was the one who consoled Haruka that  
nothing would happen to her, gripping Haruka's hands to show her how  
much she meant it. Haruka smiled a little to reward Makoto for her  
efforts, and they continued to hold hands for the rest of the journey,  
not realising that glimpses of jealousy directed at their clasped hands.  
  
When they reached the station, Makoto was brought into a room  
where Michiru and Naru would conduct the questioning session. Haruka,  
who was denied access to the room, sat gloomily at her work space. It  
was protocol that no one sane enough would disturb Haruka when she was  
in such a mood. This, however, didn't apply to Setsuna.  
  
After minutes of brooding, Haruka was called into Setsuna's  
office. The inspector was a face of calm when she spoke to Haruka, "I  
know that Makoto was brought in for questioning. And I know how  
emotionally dependent you are on each other. But may I remind you that  
this is a police department and you are an officer? You cannot let  
personal feelings interfere with your job. Neither should you interfere  
with Michiru's."  
  
"I understand." Haruka knew how she should respond when she was  
rightfully chided.  
  
Setsuna could recognise the mask of indifference that Haruka  
adorned from a mile away. "It is not your fault that Kenji died. You do  
not need to atone for your mistakes by protecting his daughter."  
  
"No, I'm not."  
  
Sighing, Setsuna knew that she was better off talking to the wall  
then to talk some sense into her bull-headed subordinate. "How is the  
Furuhata's case?"  
  
"I'm getting Hotaru to help me conduct some detailed background  
check on our victim."  
  
"What have you got?"  
  
"Investigation is still on-going."  
  
Haruka's replies were short and terse, a telltale of her  
rebellious nature. Moments later, she was dismissed by Setsuna and she  
returned to her office space. There she attempted to work, reviewing  
Motoki's life like a woman possessed. In his short life, she noted  
that he was a fortunate man, winning in competitions, topping the class,  
getting a spot in an acclaimed university, surviving the Tokyo  
Tower disaster...  
  
Haruka stopped, did a double take, and re-read the last paragraph.  
Furahata Motoki, one of the three survivors of the Tokyo Tower accident,  
escaped with scrapes and bruises. It sounded too much of a coincidence.  
Mamoru was also a survivor... it seemed that a pattern was forming.  
  
Just at this moment, Makoto was released. She looked tense, with  
patches of dried tears below her eyes. This was enough to prompt Haruka  
out of her seat to join her roommate.  
  
"You are free to go for now. If we have any more questions, we  
will call you." Michiru spoke with a hint of professionalism, trying to  
ignore the obvious concern the blonde was showering on Makoto. After  
her parting words, Michiru withdrew to her workspace and threw herself  
into work.  
  
Everything was about timeline, motivations, and murder. Chiba  
Mamoru, the most notorious drug lord in his time, was an honest and  
forthright student. Although it sounded unbelievable, Michiru believed  
that to be the truth. Like Makoto, she had an intuitive feeling about  
the Tokyo Tower accident. With haste, she quickly contacted Hotaru and  
asked her to help her gather all the facts about the accident. She was  
about to leave for the records room when Haruka appeared in her  
peripheral vision.  
  
Trying her best to ignore the blonde, Michiru picked up her files  
and found herself blocked by the imposing Haruka when she was about to  
leave.  
  
"I need to speak to you." Haruka spoke with an urgency that left  
no room for negotiation. When Michiru nodded, the blonde quickly led  
her to the vacant records room.  
  
"I've found something." There was a gleam of excitement as  
Haruka's words came forth. "Chiba Mamoru and Furuhata Motoki were both  
involved in the Tokyo Tower accident five years ago. They were two of  
the three people who survived the broken glass panel in the special indoor  
observatory, 250m above ground."  
  
Eyes widening, the shorter girl pondered over the discovery and  
implications. "It may be a long stretch, totally unrelated..."  
  
"But it's worth a try," Haruka cut in, as she mustered her most  
sincere look on Michiru.  
  
Michiru acquiesced with a smile, "I thought you would never speak  
to me again, with me investigating your roommate."  
  
"Well, I have to prove that Makoto is innocent."  
  
Haruka's words hurt Michiru deeply. "I should have known. It was  
all about Makoto." Michiru's body tensed with a burning sensation in  
her heart. Rigid as she was, she could no longer keep up the calm  
composure she was so used to wearing.  
  
Haruka was rendered speechless.  
  
"How could you???" Michiru accused, her eyes reddening. "If you  
cared so much about Makoto, how could you say those things you said to  
me yesterday in this room."  
  
"What?" Haruka was shocked by the outburst. She never expected  
such a strong reaction from Michiru. Her mind raced back to yesterday  
and ran through everything she had said to Michiru and then it clicked.  
"Are you jealous?"  
  
"I'm not." Michiru replied indignantly. The idea that Haruka was  
just toying with her while she was seriously considering her  
preferences was clouding her mind with anger.  
  
"I meant every word I said," Haruka defended herself.  
  
"You did not." Michiru decided to be childish. "You love Makoto."  
  
"In a sisterly way, yes." This was not a conversation that she  
imagined she would have with Michiru. Armed with disbelief and pure  
stubbornness, Haruka was equally firm in her words.  
  
"Then you care too much for a sister. You look as if you would  
throw away your life for her." There were no boundaries now, as far as  
Michiru was concerned. Her hurt was flowing into words, demanding that  
Haruka addressed them accordingly.  
  
Haruka never expected that Makoto would become an object of  
argument between them. "Ok, I've sworn on her father's death that I  
would protect her. It will never work out that way between us."  
  
Michiru was obviously still unmoved. She was trying to come up  
with a retort when Haruka interrupted her, "What do I have to do to  
convince you that you are the one that I love?"  
  
When Michiru did not speak and Haruka grew more frustrated by the  
seconds, the latter resorted to drastic measures. She pulled the  
unsuspecting girl into her embrace and kissed her with a ferocity that  
she never knew she possessed.  
  
Michiru didn't respond at first. She was too shell-shocked to do  
anything. Her first instinct was to push this offending blonde away but,  
as Haraka caressed and deepened her kiss, Michiru was thrown into a  
world of intoxicating senses and touches. Within seconds and  
unthinkingly, Michiru pressed deeper into Haruka's embrace and willed  
for more from the blonde.  
  
The soft touches and mingling of breath were sensual and  
mystifying. Seconds dragged out as each moment was about giving and  
receiving a part of each other's souls. Hesitantly, fingers wandered as  
tongues probed, this moment so significant that both individuals would  
not be able to ignore or dispute the feelings being played out here.  
  
Haruka's hands shifted upwards to both sides of Michiru's face,  
her lips drawing more from Michiru's before she finally pulled herself  
away. Both were breathing heavily, not speaking, just staring into each  
other's eyes, trying to prolong the intimate moment they shared just  
seconds ago. Just as Haruka tried to close in for another kiss,  
Michiru stopped her.  
  
"I can't." The sadness in Haruka's eyes prompted Michiru to  
explain her thoughts. "There is Seiya. I..." With the mention of  
Michiru's boyfriend, Haruka was about to pull away, thinking that she  
was defeated. Michiru wasn't going to let that happen and pulled her  
back to her embrace, fiercely hugging the blonde, "Give me some time,  
please?"  
  
Suddenly, it seemed that the world still had hope for Haruka. She  
stared lovingly at her partner and asked, "Are you choosing me?" To her  
disappointment, Michiru looked distraught.  
  
"I don't know. I'm confused. Give me time to decide, Ok?"  
  
Haruka couldn't refuse even if she wished to.  
  
**********  
  
The same afternoon, personal feelings were pushed aside as the  
partners delved into the murder cases of Chiba Mamoru and Furuhata  
Motoki. The thread that tied the two murder victims together lay in  
Tokyo Tower.  
  
Rummaging through the records, Haruka and Michiru had read  
all existing official records on the accident that took place five  
years ago. There were witnesses' testimonials, the weather report,  
coroner's report, and the ones that held most interest, the  
firsthand accounts by Mamoru and Motoki.  
  
The two men were at the special observatory room. Each was there for  
a different purpose and through fate they survived the air pressure  
pulling them out of the building by grabbing at pillars. What was  
disconcerting was that when they were probed about the girl named  
Tsukino Usagi who fell to her death, both persons were less than  
forthcoming. This was especially evident from the video tapes that the  
detectives got from news stations recording the event.  
  
This, the detectives couldn't reconcile to the anguished look on  
their faces, the obvious trauma that they had suffered and were  
suffering. Both were like deer caught in the headlights, their eyes  
bearing a fear that did not speak of a life threatening event but of  
guilt. It felt much more, as if something was really wrong. What that  
transpired was something Haruka and Michiru needed to work on.  
  
The third survivor from the accident was, to their surprise,  
Mizuno Ami, the state's medical examiner. She too held the same look as  
the others. She was also the last surviving person of the people who  
were on the observatory that day. It was a lead that they decided to  
seek.  
  
Sitting outside the coroner's office, the partners were waiting  
for their chance to speak to Ami. When clearance was given, Haruka and  
Michiru strode into the office purposefully.  
  
The bespectacled doctor was looking at them curiously.  
Introductions were not necessary as they already knew each other  
through the course of their work. Deciding to be tactful, Michiru was  
the one who spoke first, making small talk about the day and later  
asking her about her opinion on the case on Motoki and Mamoru.  
Coincidently or not, she was the medical examiner on both cases.  
  
Haruka was observing the doctor, who was unemotional and  
methodical in answering Michiru's queries. Did Ami recognise the two  
dead men? Haruka knew that group counselling sessions were conducted to  
help the survivors. Thinking back to the point where Ami was being  
called on to the murder scene, Haruka remembered that Ami had not  
always acted normally, as if she knew these men. Now, looking at the  
doctor who did not show an ounce of emotion, it felt wrong.  
  
From then on, Haruka began to see the doctor in a new light.  
  
"Can you tell us more about the accident on the Tokyo Tower?"  
Michiru asked.  
  
Ami visibly shrank away from the detectives. She was tight-lipped  
as she considered Michiru's request. Just as Michiru was about to  
prompt for an answer, Ami spoke, "There is nothing more to be said. The  
police should have records of my testimonials."  
  
"Yes. But we would like to find out more," Michiru coaxed. "If  
you do recall, two of our murder victims that you performed an autopsy  
on were the other two survivors of the Tokyo Tower accident."   
  
There was a note of realisation that lit up Ami's eyes, quite   
different from what Michiru would have expected. It was as if Michiru had   
just answered a puzzle that Ami couldn't solve. Although she suspected that  
it was unnecessary, she went on to divulge which two specific persons  
she was talking about. "Chiba Mamoru and Furuhata Motoki."  
  
"I don't know anything about them," Ami responded defensively.  
  
It was obviously a lie. By now, the two detectives knew that Ami  
would be even more difficult to deal with. Hence, by tacit agreement,  
they decided to retreat to make further plans.  
  
"In that case, I guess we better be leaving." Michiru got up,  
shook hands with the doctor, and took the lead to walk out of the  
office.  
  
Once outside and in the privacy of Haruka's car, they began to  
discuss earnestly.  
  
"She is too jumpy, making you smell a rat." Michiru started the  
ball rolling. "But she comes across as too meek to be a murderer."  
  
"Haven't you seen enough movies? It is always the quiet ones that  
do the most harm," Haruka teased. For her move, she was rewarded with a  
long-suffering smile by her partner. Her smirk then slowly receded  
into a semi-serious expression signalling that she was in business mood.  
"It dawned on me that Ami was the last one surviving," Haruka said  
meaningfully.  
  
Michiru had easily caught on to what Haruka had yet to say as she  
was thinking the same way too. "Something happened on that observatory  
that day. It was obvious in the way Ami avoided talk on it. It could  
even be a secret that people died for and the killer would be the only  
one surviving who knew of the secret."  
  
Haruka nodded, satisfied that Michiru had so easily deciphered  
her thoughts. There was one worry, though. "Aren't we presumptuous to  
assume that she is the killer?"  
  
Confidently, Michiru voiced out, "No. She could be the one. And  
if she is not, then she is in mortal danger. In any case, she is  
implicated."  
  
"I guess there is only one course of action," said Haruka,  
exuding a charm that few could resist when she was self assured. "We  
are going to spy on her."  
  
**********  
  
It was late evening when Michiru went back to her house to pick  
up some supplies. Haruka was left with the lone duty to keep watch over  
the medical examiner at the coroner's office. It was meant to be a short  
trip and Michiru had tried to keep it that way.  
  
Seiya was waiting outside her house when Michiru arrived. The  
detective was surprised to see him as she didn't remember having any  
dates with him that day. To quicken things, she let him into the house  
and began to pack as she probed him. "Did you wait long? You should  
have called me first before coming over."  
  
"I did call. Your line was dead." Seiya said, standing in the  
hall way, feeling miserable as Michiru wouldn't even afford him a  
glance. It felt as if he couldn't compare to the clothes and whatnots  
that Michiru was busily shoving into a bag. "What are you doing  
anyway?"  
  
"I'm in the midst of an operation, and you know how things are, I  
have to turn off all my communication devices. I also need to be away  
for a couple of days." Michiru responded.  
  
"I waited the whole evening." The tone of Seiya's voice was sad  
and muffled. His words were spoken so softly that Michiru wasn't sure  
she heard it right. However, it did have the desired effect on Michiru.  
  
Guiltily, Michiru dropped her stuff and faced Seiya. He staked  
his hands in his pocket, still standing in the hallway, staring  
at her, eyes speaking of insecurity and demanding her full attention.  
  
Michiru obliged. Looking at her childhood friend and boyfriend,  
she realised that she had neglected him. She couldn't remember when the  
last time that they had a meaningful conversation together was. And it  
was mostly her fault. She was the one who didn't have time for him,  
taking him for granted and falling for another.  
  
It suddenly became clear that tonight would be the night that she  
would have to make her decision. She walked towards Seiya, taking his  
hand and sitting them down in the living room.  
  
"Did you have something to talk to me about?" Michiru asked,  
almost afraid of Seiya's response.  
  
Seiya took a moment to collect his thoughts. When he finally  
spoke, his words were heavy. "I've been thinking what kind of  
relationship we have." He watched for Michiru's response and was  
slightly satisfied to see the shock registered in her face. "What am I  
to you?" The question was meant to be a metaphor, not to be answered  
until Seiya had finished with the speech in his mind.  
  
"Am I a boyfriend or a good friend? What is the difference  
between the two roles? I've thought long and hard. I think I've  
satisfied the criteria of being a good friend and I've tried to be the  
best boyfriend there is. But what I think is not enough. What you think  
is an important factor, too."  
  
Michiru was wordless. She saw the hurt that lingered behind his  
eyes and she was the cause of it. How could she pacify him without lies  
and promises she couldn't keep?  
  
Seeing the flabbergasted look on Michiru's face, Seiya continued.  
"I am insecure." He looked at Michiru and slowly took one of her hands  
in his. "We do not share the same intimacy as before. You do not talk  
to me anymore. I feel as if I have lost you." Spoken as an afterthought,  
he asked finally, "Did I?"  
  
Her lips were suddenly dry. Her heart rebelled against making a  
statement, cowering under a fear of destruction and loss. Michiru  
looked away from his heated gaze, needing some time to compose herself.  
It was during this time that he let go of her hand, an act so symbolic  
that prompted Michiru to give him a response that he so deserved.  
  
"I will not lie." Michiru closed her eyes as she was afraid to  
see his reaction to her next few words. "I've fallen for someone else."  
  
The temperature of the room must have fallen a few degrees, as  
this was how she felt. Cold and shaken, she almost didn't dare to open  
her reddened eyes. When she finally did, she was met with a stony face  
that was obviously fighting hard to keep tears from falling.  
  
"Listen to me." She quickly added. "It is not the end. I..."  
  
Her attempt to salvage the situation was interrupted by Seiya  
with two simple words. "Is it?"  
  
"I know what I did was unforgivable."  
  
"Is it her, Tenoh Haruka?"  
  
After some hesitant moments, Michiru nodded.  
  
"I felt it the first time I saw both of you together. I tried to  
ignore it as best as I could but it turned out my instincts were  
correct." He gave a nervous laugh. It was hard, so terribly hard to  
keep himself in control.  
  
Michiru kept mum. She couldn't ask for forgiveness. If their  
roles were switched, she knew she would have broken off with Seiya. Now,  
seeing how hurt Seiya was, she too was lost in her misery.  
  
"Who do you choose?"  
  
Michiru was startled. It was a decision that she was afraid to  
make. However it was unfair of her to keep her two loved ones waiting.  
Yet it was a major decision and she really did not have any idea. "I  
don't know."  
  
"Do you still love me?" His words were delivered with a  
coarseness that she didn't recognise.  
  
"Yes."  
  
He smiled again, this time almost eerily. Brushing away the  
moistness in his eyes, he could barely keep his voice from croaking.  
"We knew each other since we were young. I couldn't remember a happier  
time than when I was with you. You were my light and joy, my tears and  
darkness.  
  
Even through the happy times, we had arguments. It didn't feel  
this bad, to this point of hopelessness. You have always blamed me as  
jealous and possessive, but do you know why I act that way?" asked  
Seiya.  
  
When no response was forthcoming from Michiru, who continued to  
torture him with her glassy eyes, he forged on,"I was insecure. Deep  
down, I knew I couldn't keep you. The reason was ..." Tears began  
trailing down his face and drowning his words.  
  
Michiru moved to hug him but Seiya quickly pushed her away. "No.  
Do not do this to me." Seiya cried, standing and stepping away from the  
sobbing Michiru. "Do not act as if you love me. You do not!"  
  
"Seiya, that's not true." Michiru cried. Further objections were  
muted when Seiya made no attempt to stop his tirade.  
  
"I've tried to deceive myself many times but that is how I feel.  
You love me as a friend, as a brother and that is all!" It hurt him so  
much to voice out his years of insecurity. He was so tired and even if  
his heart was torn into pieces, it was time to set this straight.  
"Don't you understand? I do not want you to be with me because you were  
indebted to me. I want you to truly love me as a lover."  
  
"Seiya, for all the times that we were together, the happy  
moments and the sad ones, I was lucky that I had you. I would never  
wish to have you replaced by another person. You accuse me of not  
loving you, but would my heart hurt so much if not so? Would I be in  
tears now?" Michiru retorted. She didn't understand why he was saying  
the things that he said. It was untrue, wasn't it?  
  
"Years ago, you asked me, 'can a person fall in love with two  
persons at the same time?' I said no. When a person is truly in love, he  
or she would no longer have the capacity to love another. I have always  
believed in that because that is how I felt. If you love Haruka, then  
you were not truly in love with me."  
  
Michiru had no response to his accusation. She searched her heart  
for answers, a painful process that delivered little results.  
  
"I always thought if I keep on waiting, you would eventually love  
me. But now you proved that I was wrong. You would never love me as you  
would sooner fall in love with another than to see me as a lover!"  
  
Staring at Seiya whose eyes were accusing and unforgiving,  
Michiru realised that this was probably the end. She asked herself  
again and again whether what Seiya said was true. She was confused and  
anguished. What was definite was the deep wrenching pain in her heart,  
and she had no one to blame but herself.  
  
A brief silence resulted as neither made further comments. Both  
were visibly drained from the emotions flying high in the room. The  
sobbing was reduced to a halt as both realised the implications of  
today's outbursts.  
  
"I never thought I would be saying this." Seiya decisively said,  
his eyes dried of tears, "I release you, Michiru."  
  
**********  
  
The clock had just struck eleven. The night was cooler than usual,  
even with the lack of trees in the concrete jungle called the Tokyo  
central district. The street lamps illuminated dimly, casting a dark  
and foreboding glow on the skyscrapers. Except for a few occasional  
workers leaving their offices, the streets were practically devoid of  
people.  
  
A car was parked obscurely on a side road adjacent to the  
coroner's office. The car's window was winded down to provide some sort  
of ventilation. Unless a passerby stopped and squinted his eyes to look,  
Haruka was practically invisible.  
  
The detective had been in the car for hours, waiting for Ami to  
knock off from work. It would seem that the medical examiner was a  
workaholic like Haruka and this would mean that there was no hint as to  
when Ami would leave the office.  
  
"Michiru has been gone for a long time," Haruka mused to herself.  
Out of boredom, she zipped up her jacket and shifted to another  
position to get more comfortable.  
  
Not taking her eyes off the coroner's office entrance, Haruka  
pulled out a velvet casing from the glove compartment. She fingered the  
casing for a moment before finally opening it. A white gold necklace  
stringing a skilfully sculpted miniature dolphin was presented.  
  
"Was it time?" she wondered, shifting her attention to the  
jewellery. Idly, she thought of the response Michiru would have in  
seeing this present meant for her. Would the teal-haired girl be as  
ecstatic as she was when she first saw the necklace in Osaka? She hoped  
so.  
  
Shaking herself mentally, Haruka resumed her attention back to  
the entrance. This was not the time to think about such things. Putting  
the case back to car compartment, Haruka kept a lonely vigil over the  
unsuspecting medical examiner.  
  
**********  
  
In a lighted room amongst the darkened surroundings, Ami was  
alone. Sitting in a swirling chair and restlessly sipping from a wine  
glass, she held a face of deep sorrow.  
  
Two photographs lay on the desk; she never thought she would see  
the people in the pictures again. It was a memory she fought hard to  
forget and she had nearly succeeded. Why did it have to come back to  
her now?  
  
Her life had dramatically changed after that incident. Her  
carefree days abruptly ended and gave birth to the start of her search  
for redemption. She had worked very hard, struggling between studies  
and social work. All her life was spent on doing good, and when she  
thought that she had atoned enough, she was proven wrong.  
  
Emptying the glass in her hand, she sought to drown out her  
thoughts and, especially, the desperate cries of the blonde girl.  
  
Ami's solitude was interrupted rudely when an intruder barged  
into her office. She didn't recognise the person but the glint of a  
dagger easily told her the purpose of the visit.  
  
Fear was something that she had experienced before. Five years  
ago, Ami was in a somewhat similar position where her life was in  
jeopardy. And that fear was coming back to her.  
  
The hooded figure made no noise, not even a declaration on why it  
was doing this. It wasn't necessary as Ami had already guessed the  
motives of this individual. There was only one mistake she made in her  
life and the debt remained unpaid.  
  
"It was an accident," cried Ami.  
  
The doctor never got to speak more, as the intruder rushed  
towards her with a dagger poised for her heart. Ami couldn't defend  
herself in time but managed to deflect the weapon slightly. Although  
the act might have saved her precious minutes, it proved to be  
insufficient.  
  
"You are just as guilty," the intruder spoke, whispering into the  
doctor's ear before delivering the final stab.  
  
***********  
  
Haruka stood powerlessly as she watched the numbers in the lift  
lit up one by one. The rush of adrenaline was pumping through her body  
as she knew that she might be too late.  
  
She had acted the instant she spotted a suspicious person  
entering the building. Her mind was in an overdrive and subconsciously  
she knew that she had to get to Ami as soon as possible.  
  
The lift opened and the police detective dashed out with a gun in  
hand. However, she was already too late. Upon storming into the room,  
Haruka saw Ami's lifeless body. "Drop your weapon and put your hands  
in the air!" the officer shouted, angrily staring at the murderer before  
her.  
  
The hood casted shadows on the murderer's face and Haruka could  
not see clearly who this person was in front of her. In a split second,  
a bloodied dagger was thrown her way. Haruka dodged the weapon but  
could not dodge the punch that followed. In stinging pain, she fell to  
the floor. For a few helpless seconds, she noted that the murderer was  
making an escape.  
  
Fortunately, out of nowhere, Michiru suddenly appeared and  
delivered a powerful kick that sent the murderer tumbling. When the  
murderer finally recovered the senses, Haruka was already up and  
pinned the murderer to the floor.  
  
***********  
  
"She still refuses to talk?" asked Haruka. She wasn't part of  
the interrogation team as Setsuna pulled her in for an earful on acting  
alone again. Anxious to know the answer, she followed the teal-haired  
girl to her seat.  
  
"Not a word." Michiru sighed. It had been hours since they pulled  
the murderer back to the station. Even Michiru, the most patient of all  
the officers combined, had no way to get the murderer to speak a word.  
  
"She does know that we will still continue to charge her with  
murder." Haruka was pondering over the case. In all her years as a  
detective, she learnt early that behind every murder was a story to be  
told, some were heart-wrenching pitiful and some downright stupid.  
Regardless, this case would not be closed in her mind if she never knew  
the reason behind these seemingly senseless killings.  
  
"Yes, and she won't disclose her motives. Even her defence  
lawyers couldn't get anything out of her."  
  
The blonde suddenly became very aware of the weary look that her  
partner was wearing. Behind those red shot eyes, she realised that  
something was wrong. Before she could broach the subject, Michiru  
turned away.  
  
"Since there's nothing much we can do now, I'm leaving first."  
The shorter girl said and began gathering her belongings. "I'll be back  
in a few hours." Not even sparing a glance at her partner, Michiru  
walked out of the common room.  
  
Haruka felt distinctly that she had just been brushed off. In  
confusion, she could only stare as her partner made her way out, and  
wonder what had caused a change in Michiru. Just as she was  
contemplating whether to go after her partner, Hotaru cried out in  
frustration.  
  
"Are you going crazy, Hotaru?" Umino shouted from his table  
across the room.  
  
Hotaru blushed at the comment, embarrassed to have caused a  
commotion. "It was a file that Chiba Mamoru kept locked up in his  
computer. I have spent days trying to crack the password and it still  
refuses to be unlocked. I guess I just got too frustrated. I'm sorry,  
everyone." Hotaru apologised and scanned the room, satisfied that  
everyone had a smile for her. It was then that she realised that Haruka  
was gone.  
  
***********  
  
The roof was a good place to think. You could stare at the  
seemingly endless sky or view the large expanse of the Tokyo city line.  
It was relaxing and it made all her worries seem so small. This short  
interlude was what Michiru needed now.  
  
Her heart was still doing flip-flops in her chest, a hurt growing  
steadily within. She stared passively at the wide array of darkened  
buildings and lighted streets, knowing that the sun will not be  
showering its rays on this place for another two hours. Somehow, this  
darkened surrounding suited her mood perfectly.  
  
When all the action had died down, she realised that what was  
left was a remembrance of what was lost tonight. First loves were hard  
to forget and hard to get over. Her house, which was her sanctuary,  
had become the one place she didn't want to be at the moment. The  
rooftop of the police HQ on the other hand seemed like a good idea now.  
It was a place where she could be alone and allow the wind to caress her  
battered heart.  
  
"Michiru?"  
  
Upon hearing her name, the girl turned and found herself facing the  
one person she didn't want to see right now. When Michiru made no  
effort to respond, Haruka walked towards her, much to Michiru's dismay.  
  
"This is not the time," Michiru said, trying to stop Haruka's  
advance.  
  
"Is something wrong?"  
  
Michiru could detect genuine concern in her partner's voice and  
it tore at her. "I can't. Not now." For every step that Haruka took,  
Michiru took a step back and soon she felt the wall against her back.  
In spite of that, she was still thinking of how to avoid the blonde for  
she could not view the object of her betrayal without falling apart.  
  
By now, Haruka was utterly convinced that something was wrong.  
She could not possibly leave Michiru alone. Against her partner's  
pleadings, she came nearer, putting both hands at either side of  
Michiru, not allowing an escape route. "What happened? You are avoiding  
me."  
  
Michiru could feel Haruka's hot gaze on her and still she  
steadfastly looked away from her. In a second, she felt herself pulled  
into Haruka's embrace.  
  
"Tell me please. This scares me."  
  
The warmth of Haruka's body was soothing and comforting. But her  
tears were already rolling freely onto Haruka's shirt and her body was  
quaking with grief. She realised that Haruka was no longer speaking and  
was acting as a silent protector, stroking her hair while she cried and  
subconsciously lending her support. Michiru hugged her harder, grateful  
that Haruka was around for her. It took a while but Michiru finally  
took control of her sobs.  
  
"What was that about?" Haruka asked. The two girls had sunk to  
the floor somewhere between the sobs and were now leaning against the  
wall side by side. Michiru, whose head was propped up on Haruka's  
shoulder, was quiet.  
  
As the silence drew on and Haruka was hesitant to ask again,  
Michiru spoke, "Seiya and I broke up today."  
  
Haruka was speechless. "I don't know what to say." She didn't  
know whether she should be happy or sad. If Michiru had cried so much  
about the loss of that relationship, then ...  
  
"Seiya was an important friend and I hurt him so much."  
  
It seemed then that Michiru had a lot to say and Haruka was  
contented to let her do the talking. Everything about Michiru's past  
from the death of her parents to her meeting Seiya to the years that  
they have spent together was touched on. With the knowledge of all these  
details of Michiru's life, she found herself respecting Seiya but at the  
same time it made her incredibly jealous.  
  
"I told him about you and he said I never loved him. I feel like  
an ungrateful, deceiving wretch."  
  
"Wait a minute. You told him about us?"  
  
Michiru nodded her head.  
  
"Ok." Although she knew she shouldn't, somewhere inside she was  
gloating in joy. Maybe Michiru was reading her mind, for no longer than  
a minute she felt a slap on her hand.  
  
"I'm feeling guilty here. Maybe we shouldn't be together. It's  
too disrespectful..."  
  
Before she got to finish her sentence, Haruka hugged her fiercely.  
"No way. I'm not letting you go. You are mine!"  
  
Michiru was slightly shocked by Haruka's outburst, but when their  
eyes met, she was lost. Emotions such as hurt and uncertainty welled in  
those deep green orbs that were left for her to see. The walls that had  
built up around Haruka's heart crumbled at that moment, letting  
Michiru in. Love shone from Haruka's eyes and Michiru could no longer  
deny her heart's desires and allowed herself to drown and sink into a  
web of sinful pleasures.  
  
As the two kissed in a passionate fiery embrace, Michiru realised  
that Seiya had been right after all.  
  
***********  
  
The next morning, a trip was made to the murder suspect's house  
in an aim to unravel the motive behind those murders. Haruka and Michiru  
were oddly rejuvenated with less than three hours of sleep and had  
embarked on this mission professionally.  
  
They had combed the area four times already and nothing was found.  
There were no blood-stained clothes, murder weapons, or any plans,  
schedules or diaries on the murders. In short, in this house there  
wasn't any hint of the grisly deeds that the owner had performed.  
  
"Maybe we haven't looked hard enough," Haruka said drearily. From  
the tone of her voice, it might seem that the blonde was about to  
give up, but Michiru knew otherwise.  
  
Nevertheless, Michiru thought it was time to share her  
observation, "I realised something."  
  
"What is it?" Haruka asked when Michiru didn't continue. The  
serious look on her partner's face indicated that she was on to  
something.  
  
"There isn't a single photo in the house."  
  
Haruka spied the area. True enough, on places where photos are  
commonly found, there was none. She also knew that there were no photo  
albums lying around from her rampaging through the drawers.  
  
Nodding, Haruka considered the implication carefully. "I can only  
think of two reasons for the lack of photos. Either she has bad  
memories of the past or she hates herself."  
  
Approving, Michiru smiled. "I think both elements are true. Look  
at this place. It is sparse and functional. There is a lack of personal  
touch. I would say that the owner does not indulge in any pleasures of  
living."  
  
"That is harsh."  
  
"At the minimum, I think she is a very unhappy person." Michiru  
walked around, feeling the contours of the furniture, cupboards,  
drawers, and tables, and finding nothing. "From this house, I cannot  
see what the owner's likes and dislikes are. There are no photos, no  
pictures, no colour, no mementoes, nothing."  
  
"Your point being?"  
  
"I don't know. I still haven't found the link yet."  
  
Michiru was smiling prettily, and Haruka realised that she ought  
to do some detective work, too. "Maybe she is a paid assassin and this  
place is just a temporary residence?" Haruka suggested, offering her two  
cents worth.  
  
"Somehow I prefer to think that something happened in the past  
that made her such an unfeeling person today."  
  
The air was heavy with unspoken thoughts and half-baked  
deductions, which was only broken by Haruka's rumbling stomach  
subsequently. A lunch break was quickly put in order.  
  
They stopped at a roadside eatery, and the food arrived  
shortly after they ordered. On tacit agreement, business and anything  
related to detective work were thrown into the wind for the moment.  
  
"Makoto asked if you would want to come to the house for dinner  
tonight." Haruka was discreetly watching for Michiru's reactions to her  
words.  
  
"What's the occasion?"  
  
There was hardness in Michiru's tone that even Haruka could  
decipher. "Nothing. She just wants to know my girlfriend a bit better."  
  
Michiru blushed.  
  
Holding Michiru's free hand across the table, Haruka knew it was  
time to settle Michiru's insecurities about her. "Makoto is like a  
sister to me. I want you two to get along."  
  
The sincerity in Haruka's expression had convinced Michiru to do  
just that. In a matter of days, Haruka had completely taken a pole  
position in her heart. She knew that there was nothing she wouldn't do  
for her.  
  
"As you know, Makoto was the daughter of my former partner."  
Haruka began, beholding a face of resolve. "To me, Kino Kaji was more  
than a partner. He was also my mentor, my friend, and even my quasi-  
father. For six years, we had solved crimes together, getting through  
every life threatening event unscathed, except for the last one."  
  
"You don't need to tell me this." Although Michiru wanted to hear  
the story, she knew that this was a painful history for Haruka.  
  
Haruka shook her head. It was a past that she wanted Michiru to  
know. The day before when Michiru poured out her heart and past to her,  
there was only one thing that rang in her mind. It was that she wanted  
to share her past, present, and future with Michiru, too.  
  
"We were investigating Chiba Mamoru on his drug dealings. Every  
single one of our coup operations was unsuccessful, and soon Setsuna  
suspected that there was a traitor in our midst. A trap was set to find  
out who this person was and it turned out to be Kino."  
  
The ending didn't surprise Michiru as she had nearly guessed it,  
but she knew that it must have hurt Haruka a lot. She could only  
imagine how much Haruka had suffered to find out that the one person  
she respected the most was a traitor. It suddenly became clear to her  
why Haruka was adverse to human relationships and even more opposed to  
having a partner. Michiru squeezed Haruka's hand as a form of  
encouragement, the only little thing she could do now.  
  
"He had a gambling habit and incurred huge debts that he couldn't  
pay off in his lifetime. Working for Mamoru was the only option that the  
drug lord gave him."  
  
Now was the hardest part. Michiru could see it in Haruka's  
disturbed eyes. She offered Haruka a chance to stop again but Haruka  
forged on.  
  
"There was a crossfire between Mamoru gang and the police during  
the unveiling of the traitor. I ended up killing him in the shootout."  
  
"Haruka?" Michiru gasped. This, she did not expect.  
  
"It was too late when I realised what happened. I rushed to him,  
hoping for the best. But the only thing I could do was a promise to him  
in his dying moments that I would protect Makoto."  
  
"Did Makoto know about this?"  
  
"Yes. She hated me for ages. It took me a while to get through to  
her. I supposed subconsciously she knew that I wasn't the one to  
blame."  
  
Looking at the hard resolve on Haruka's face, Michiru realised  
that the blonde had gone through a lot. The hurt was still there, kept  
under wraps with walls around the heart. But with Michiru being in the  
picture now, everything would change as she would do her best to mend  
and soothe the broken heart.  
  
"So now you know why it is impossible for me and Makoto?" Haruka  
smiled self-deprecatingly. "I killed her father."  
  
"Haruka, that is not funny."  
  
***********  
  
The trip to Tsukino's house was just as quiet and as unsettling  
as the driver was. Both officers agreed that work should come first  
when lunch was over. Deciding on the next course of action was easy. If  
the murders were linked to Tsukino Usagi, then it might be advantageous  
if they had a better idea of who this person was and who her closest  
friends were.  
  
When they reached the residential area, Shingo, Usagi's younger  
brother was the one who met them at the door. Aged twenty-one, he was a  
young man whose eyes spoke of age and weariness.  
  
The detectives were quick to speak of their purpose for the trip.  
Shingo was rightfully surprised but had obliged on the condition that  
his parents were not to be disturbed as the death of his sister  
remained a sore memory in the house.  
  
It was also coincidental that his parents were not at home and,  
therefore, Shingo brought them to his sister's room which was left  
unchanged. The room was just like any other girl's room. Its walls were  
painted light pink with a lineup of boy bands' posters. On a dressing  
table, there were photo frames which Haruka and Michiru found  
themselves flocking over to.  
  
The photos were taken years ago as evidenced by the fading  
colours. Usagi was always shown laughing at the camera. It was so easy  
to see that this young girl was so full of life. There were photos  
taken with her family and with her friends, but both officers noticed  
that there was one person, other than Usagi of course, who was found in  
most of the photos.  
  
Hino Rei.  
  
Shingo must have noticed them looking intently at the person in  
question and offered an answer. "That was my sister's best friend. They  
were very close. She was devastated by her death." The last word was a  
whisper.  
  
"Can you tell us more about them?" Michiru asked. It seemed that  
their deduction was right after all -- not only were Rei and Usagi  
related, but also they were very close. The question now was whether  
their relationship was intimate enough to kill.  
  
Shingo took a moment to gather his thoughts and let open the  
floodgate to his memories. "Usagi was a sweet person, full of love but  
clumsy. Rei, that's the name of that girl in the picture, was  
slightly aloof, quick temper, but always kind and smart. They both were  
different but complemented each other well. The way I see it, Rei was  
her protector and confidant."  
  
Haruka and Michiru looked at each other meaningfully but were  
contented to let Shingo do the talking.  
  
"As I said, Rei was devastated by her death. I guess she felt  
partly responsible as Usagi was going to meet her that day on the Tokyo  
Tower. Now, she comes over occasionally to check up on my parents. And  
I know she visits her grave quite often."  
  
From the tone of Shingo's voice, Michiru could detect that the  
boy was grateful to Rei. "It sounds like she is a very good friend,"  
Michiru prompted.  
  
"I would say so. Not many people can tolerate my sister's  
tardiness. I remember that Usagi used to fail her exams, but after she  
met Rei, that seemed to have changed. Not that Usagi was passing with  
flying colours, it was that she passed. It seemed that Rei was able to  
get her to do anything, including studying which she hated with a  
fevered passion. There came to a point that when my mom couldn't get  
Usagi to follow her wishes, all she needed to do was to ask Rei to ask  
her."  
  
"Usagi listens to Rei wholeheartedly?" There were a million  
impulses that cruised through Haruka's blood stream that second but  
there was only one thought that stood out, Usagi and Rei were more than  
friends.  
  
"Yes, it was as if Rei had some power over her. I remember there  
was a time when Usagi refused to go for her dental appointments. You  
see, Usagi had acute fear for dentists and Rei came to know about it  
and kept teasing her about handsome dentists and ugly decayed teeth.  
Finally it was the reward of a sweet, I think, that got Usagi to go to  
the dentist." There was a wistful smile on Shingo's face as he recalled  
the event.  
  
"That seemed like too frivolous a reward to tempt your sister,"  
Michiru questioned.  
  
"I think so too, but that was what I overheard from my sister."  
  
Now for the all important question, Haruka asked, "Did Rei get  
over the death of your sister?"  
  
Shingo pondered for a while as his eyes turned glassy. "No, I  
don't think so. She always had that sad look on her face and I don't  
blame her. I don't think I will get over her death, either."  
  
The shrill of a cell phone interrupted their conversation. Haruka  
excused herself to pick up the call.  
  
"They seemed like a very close pair of friends."  
  
"I have never seen Usagi happier than she was beside Rei." Shingo  
declared. Then as if remembering something else, a haunted look graced  
his features, "but during the last few weeks of her life, Rei didn't  
come over. It's like they quarrelled and Usagi was so downtrodden.  
Finally, on that day, Usagi was meeting her and I thought their little  
spat would be over. But..." He simply could not finish his sentence as  
his words got choked.  
  
Michiru did her best to console the young man. He declined and  
kept a brave front. Conversation died down and they avoided looking at  
each other until Haruka came back.  
  
Haruka quickly came towards Michiru's side and whispered to her  
secretively, "Rei escaped from the cell just minutes ago. They are  
looking for her now. We got to help out."  
  
Michiru processed the information and came up with a last  
question for Shingo. "Do you know where their favourite haunts were?"  
  
***********  
  
"How did she escape?" Michiru asked as they rushed out of the car  
and hurried on foot. It was purely a guessing game as to where Rei  
could be at the moment. With the information given by Shingo, Michiru  
had quickly relayed the information to the department.  
  
"The old toilet routine -- knocked down an officer when she went to  
the toilet," Haruka answered, keeping a few steps ahead of Michiru and  
looking out for directions in a field of stone stabs and lonely trees.  
  
As they neared their destination, Haruka instinctively slowed  
down and spied for a particular priestess. There was none, much to the  
blonde's dismay. Rounding up a corner, they reached the gravestone of a  
young girl who died at the age of 16, Tsukino Usagi.  
  
Haruka scanned the area once more and looked out particularly for  
hiding places. When she was satisfied that there was none, she  
suggested leaving the place.  
  
Michiru disagreed. "Since we are here, we should pay our  
respects."  
  
Watching Michiru performing the familiar ritual, Haruka couldn't  
help thinking what caused Usagi's death to spark this chain of  
murders. It was all about this girl whose smile was so vibrant and  
whose life was abruptly cut short.  
  
What happened? Her brain screamed. Haruka needed to know the answer.  
She stared at the name carved on the stone and willed it to tell her  
the answer.  
  
"Haruka, look at this!" Michiru gasped. "The soil here is cracked  
and softer than the rest. It seemed like somebody had dug here  
before." Thinking that this might reveal an important clue, they dug  
the earth near the stab, against the better teachings of Confucius and  
basic human morals. They did not know what they would find but there was  
an odd intuition that told them that the answers were buried here.  
  
Soon, a box was seen and dug out. Haruka opened the box and what  
lay before them were two dairies.  
  
***********  
~Denotes a flashback scene~  
  
~I find myself thinking of you all the time.~  
  
~Do you know what you are saying?~  
  
~Yes. It's all very confusing but I can't deny what my heart  
feels.~  
  
~This is wrong.~  
  
There were many things she would wish for differently. First, she  
would never have pushed her away. Instead, she would have embraced the  
love that was showered on her.  
  
~Why are you avoiding me?~  
  
~I'm not.~  
  
~Do I disgust you?~  
  
~No!~  
  
She regretted so many of her actions. Foremost, she regretted  
making her sad with her senseless actions. She even made her cry, the  
most evil sin that she could have committed.  
  
~Please meet me at Tokyo Tower. I want us to be at least friends  
again.~  
  
She had let her die thinking that it was a one-sided love. It was  
unforgivable. If only she had searched her heart earlier, if only she  
had not bowed down to the pressures of the society, if only she were  
not caught in the subway malfunction that day, if only...  
  
Tears streamed down her face as memories from the past invaded  
her senses.  
  
~I'm sorry for bumping into you.~  
  
~It's okay. My name is Rei.~  
  
~I'm Usagi.~  
  
Tokyo Tower was the place where they met. It was to be the place  
where she would reciprocate her feelings. But she was too late and it  
costed her everything. It was only befitting that this would be the  
place where it all ended.  
  
"Usagi, I'm so lost without you."  
  
***********  
  
The contents of the diaries were quickly skimmed by the seasoned  
officers, who had shortly returned to their car. One of the diaries  
belonged to Usagi and detailed her life experiences to the day before  
her death. Haruka felt slightly guilty as she read the most inner  
thoughts of this young girl. There were notes on happy occasions and sad  
occasions, but the most revealing of all was the silent turmoil of  
falling in love with her best friend.  
  
In those pages which spanned weeks and months, Haruka stole a  
glimpse of the young girl's heart. She read how Rei's rejection had  
hurt Usagi. She read how happy Usagi was when Rei finally agreed to a  
meeting at Tokyo Tower.  
  
For a moment, Haruka felt the injustice of the world. How could  
someone so young and so idealistic be condemned to such a short  
existence? She looked over to Michiru, who was poring over Rei's diary.  
It hit her then that she was fortunate, truly fortunate that Michiru  
was with her.  
  
Rei's diary was longer than Usagi's. The first entry in the book  
was the day when Usagi died. It was hard to maintain composure as  
Michiru read the rough passage that Rei had to go through to continue  
living. The contents were gloomy where each day was filled with regrets  
and more regrets. Every page was a struggle to read through, as each  
word oozed with pain. It spoke of days of loneliness, the regrets that  
haunted her every second of life, the search for peace in Shinto, and  
the final realisation of what conspired on that day in Tokyo Tower  
through an unsuspecting source.  
  
At this point, Michiru asked Haruka to look over and found their  
questions answered. As they had discovered earlier, Motoki had visited  
Rei on several occasions. In one of those days after a particularly bad  
nightmare and swipes of alcohol, he stumbled into Rei's shrine and  
confessed his sins to her unwittingly in a drunken stupor.  
  
That was a turning point in Rei's life, to finally know that she  
actually didn't have to lose Usagi. Her thoughts quickly turned  
murderous on the people who robbed her of her happiness.  
  
On the last page of the diary was a sentence that sent a chill up  
Michiru's body:  
  
-I will avenge you and then we can finally be together.-  
  
"She is going to kill herself. We need to find her soon." An  
anxious Haruka commanded, from the driver seat.  
  
"But where could she be? The other teams have checked out the  
arcade, the coffee house, the shrine, and even the school. We are out of  
ideas." It was not common, but Michiru was growing frantic, too.  
  
"No, there's one more location." Haruka said after a minute of  
pondering, "the place where Usagi died, the place that sparked the  
death count -- Tokyo Tower."  
  
As there were no better alternatives, Michiru urged Haruka to get  
the car moving to their intended destination. Haruka's cell phone rang  
again. It was Hotaru.  
  
"Gals, I've found something. I've just decoded one of Mamoru's  
computer files and, I stress, you must read this."  
  
***********  
  
The sun had set a long time ago. For hours, Rei had been hiding  
in the stairways of the Tokyo Tower and avoiding being caught by  
surveillance cameras. The observatory tower had been officially closed  
for quite some time already. She knew that the security guards would  
have made their rounds and in a few moments, she would be able to sneak  
into open air deck unnoticed and undisturbed.  
  
Relying on her trained reflexes, she was soon basking in the cool  
night air. This was an open area situated 50m above the indoor observatory   
and was cordoned off from public as it provided access to a 300 meter drop   
to the streets below. Yet this was also one place where one could have   
unobstructed view of the Tokyo night scenes, and it was way better than the   
view afforded by the dedicated decks open to public.  
  
More importantly, this was the place where Usagi bumped into her,  
the start of their beautiful friendship. It could have marked the  
beginning of something more if she were on time that day.  
  
It was so easy to imagine the young blonde waiting for her at  
this location five years ago, the day she had decided that she loved  
Usagi and was on her way to confess her love.  
  
But she was late, trapped in the subway due to a blackout. Usagi  
must have thought the worst when she didn't arrive on time. The idea  
alone had caused Rei many bouts of crying fits.  
  
It rained that day, mainly caused by the approaching typhoon. Rei  
could imagine a slightly soaked Usagi departing to the indoor  
observatory deck below to wait for her. Even when the announcement came  
on the PA system to ask all visitors to leave the observatory decks as  
high-speed winds might cause the building to shake, Usagi never  
wavered on her decision to wait until she arrived.  
  
Tears never failed to appear whenever Rei thought of Usagi. It  
had been five years already. Still, Rei could not forget the blonde  
girl who had brought so much joy to her life. She had tried so hard to  
live again, for her parents, for her friends, and for everyone sakes.  
  
But it all felt so hollow, until fire filled her heart.  
  
"Rei, please step away from the edge."  
  
The priestess turned, horrified to realise that someone else was  
around. She noticed the two detectives that apprehended her right away.  
She could also see scores of police acting as their backup. Feeling  
trapped, she deliberately climbed up the rail that separated her from  
her drop.  
  
"Wait!" The blonde known as Haruka pleaded. "Think of Usagi. She  
wouldn't want this for you."  
  
"You don't know the first thing about her." Rei retaliated.  
  
"No. I..." Haruka couldn't tell her that she looked into their  
diaries. "I know what it meant to love someone. I would want the best  
for her and I would want her to live on and realise our dreams."  
  
"You could never understand how hard that is until you experience  
my kind of pain. It's time I find peace now that my deed is done."  
  
Before Haruka could come out with a retort, Michiru butted in.  
"If you insist on dying, then you should at least know the truth."  
  
Rei hesitated for a moment, and Michiru realised that it was time  
to tell the story she learnt from Rei's diary and Mamoru's file. "That  
day on the Tokyo Tower..."  
  
***********  
  
"Miss, the announcement came again. I think it is best to go down  
and wait for the typhoon to pass. I can feel the building shaking  
already."  
  
Usagi shook her head. She smiled to the young man and put up a  
brave front. "It's okay. I'm waiting for someone. She'll be here any  
moment."  
  
"Are you sure?" Mamoru asked, full of concern. There were only  
four persons left on the deck and three of them, including himself, had  
already decided to go down to the ground level.  
  
"Yes."  
  
The smile that Usagi put on left him with no recourse. Reluctantly,  
the young Mamoru left her side from the window pane to the lift lobby,  
where the other two visitors were waiting.  
  
He had just walked a few steps before a loud shattering noise and  
a shriek were heard. Almost immediately, he could feel the pull of the  
wind on him and everything went upside down.  
  
Somehow, he managed to grab hold of a pillar and was able to  
steady himself for a moment. The short hair girl whom he later knew as  
Ami and the other young man, Motoki, were also swept away from the lift  
lobby towards the broken window panes. They too had held on to some  
pillars to stop their descent.  
  
"Help!" A cry muffled by the force of wind and rain alerted him  
to the whereabouts of the fourth visitor on the deck. He turned his head  
and saw the young girl floating in the air, 250 meters above ground.  
The only thing stopping her flight of doom was a precarious hold on the  
edge of the window rail.  
  
He acted instantly. Crawling briskly and carefully towards the  
girl, he yelled out to the other guy to help him and shouted words of  
encouragement to Usagi.  
  
It soon became apparent that the pull of the wind was getting  
stronger as he neared the faltering girl. Calming his frenzied heart,  
he saw the young girl's hands, which were bloodied by the shards of  
glass, giving way. With a mighty dash, he reached out and at the last  
minute, miraculously, caught one of her hands.  
  
It was seconds later when he realised that someone was holding  
his leg, which stopped him from sliding through the broken window too.  
Unfortunately, their efforts seemed insignificant compared to the  
force of nature. Before long he was slowly slipping nearer towards his  
aerial doom.  
  
"Please come and help us." The guy known as Motoki shouted.  
  
Mamoru turned his head and saw the short haired girl cowering  
behind the pillars. She did not move. He could see that she was very  
frightened, and his heart almost sank when she replied, "I can't. The  
wind will pull me away."  
  
"If you don't help, we all will die," Mamoru pleaded. On his part,  
he was making a great effort to pull Usagi into the building but it  
wasn't working. All he could do was to maintain grasp on the girl and  
pray that he wouldn't slip along with her.  
  
Ami made a half-hearted attempt to crawl nearer to the guys but  
was quickly swept forward. In a frantic move, she was struggling and  
grabbing onto air until she caught hold of another pillar. The ordeal  
proved too much and she refused to help out.  
  
"I can't hold on any longer." Motoki shouted from behind, his  
hold on Mamoru's leg getting weaker and weaker. If no help was  
forthcoming, he was running a great risk that he too would be yanked  
out of the building.  
  
Out of desperation, Motoki shouted the words that would haunt him  
for the rest of his life. "You have to lose her or the two of us will  
fall." As if to accentuate his point, both of them were dragged to the  
edge, with Mamoru being half thrown out of the building. "If you don't  
let go of her, I will let go of you!"  
  
The fear of death consumed Mamoru. He looked at the young blonde  
girl who was looking at him so fearfully and felt his hand on her  
relaxed.  
  
***********  
  
"Stop it," shouted Rei. She didn't want to hear how Usagi  
plummeted to her death. The look of anguish was evident on her face but,  
more noticeably, pure hatred was reflected in her eyes too.  
  
"Those were Mamoru's account. He wrote it and kept it locked in  
his computer. There were some things that he knew that Motoki didn't.  
Don't you want to know what actually happened?" Michiru countered.  
Haruka had whispered something into her ear and Michiru knew that she  
needed to distract Rei.  
  
"All of them are just as guilty. They let her die. They could  
have saved her but they didn't." Rei was furious as she recalled that  
Usagi's death was partly attributable to them.  
  
"They were in danger themselves."  
  
"So is it ok to let her die?" Rei cried. She watched approvingly  
as the officers had nothing to retort her. "I was so shocked and angry  
when Motoki told me that he let my Usagi fall to her death. I could not  
do nothing. Why should I be living in pain and my Usagi torn away from  
me when they have a life ahead of them? I will not allow that."  
  
"Rei, listen to me. There is more. So please hear me out for a  
few seconds." Michiru quickly continued from where she left off.  
  
***********  
  
Mamoru quickly tightened his hold again. He would be a murderer  
if he had just let go of her hand and he wouldn't be able to live with  
himself. Striving harder, he tried to pull Usagi up to no avail and  
instead fell nearer to death's embrace.  
  
The sad look on Usagi's face was telling. Her eyes oozed with  
dejected acceptance. It was the face that graced his sleep as years  
went on. "Please, save yourself." Her crystal clear voice alarmed him.  
  
Mamoru shook his head, in disagreement.  
  
"Please tell Rei that I love her." Those were her last words when  
Usagi just allowed herself to slip away from Mamoru's vice grip.  
  
***********  
  
"You're lying!" Rei was hysterical. She didn't believe that Usagi  
would have just let go like that. She couldn't...  
  
"No. I would not lie about this. This was the account written by  
Mamoru. And given the situation, he was the only person who had the best  
knowledge of what truly transpired." Michiru explained rationally. She  
eyed the priestess thoughtfully and was slightly worried that her plan  
might backfire on her. Rei was becoming too agitated, too unsteady from  
her seat on the railing.  
  
"No..." Rei's tears had come forth quickly. Glimpses of Usagi's  
life came back to her. The young blonde had always acted  
compassionately to others, sometimes putting other people's interest  
ahead of her own. Usagi had always been a selfless person.  
  
"This was his personal diary. He had no intention of sharing it  
with anyone. Why would he lie to his diary?"  
  
"It can't be." Rei's voice didn't sound convincing anymore.  
  
Out of nowhere, Haruka appeared and with a mighty pull, pulled  
the priestess out of the railing and onto the floor with her. Haruka  
was about to pin her down when she realised that Rei was not resisting  
anymore, who had only cried harder.  
  
"What have I done?" Rei whimpered.  
  
***********  
  
A new day had begun. Haruka and Michiru found themselves watching  
the sunrise from the rooftop of the HQ. It had been a long day the  
night before and they had just gone to the rooftop for a break. With  
only the two of them, Haruka sat against a wall, which allowed her to  
overlook the Tokyo skyline. Michiru leaned back against her, her  
head resting on Haruka's chest and her body secured by Haruka's arms  
encircling her waist. Words were softly exchanged between them as they  
relished the peaceful moment.  
  
"We should do this more often," Haruka said, deeply contented  
with life itself. She had never felt so close to another person before  
and this was a feeling that she never wanted to let go again. At the  
thought, her hug on Michiru tightened just a little.  
  
"I didn't know you are so needy." Michiru joked. She made Haruka  
loosen her embrace a little so that she could have a good look at her.  
This Haruka was something she had never seen before. Haruka had always  
presented a macho persona in front of others. This was the only time  
that she had seen her as mellow as a cat.  
  
"It's too late now. You are stuck with me." Haruka challenged,  
with a charming smile.  
  
"Is it?" Playfulness was something Michiru can handle.  
  
"Damn right." Haruka concluded.  
  
The straight-faced Haruka seemed so cute in Michiru's opinion  
that she couldn't resist but meet Haruka halfway for a kiss.  
  
After what felt like an eternity had passed, both came up for air  
with an awestruck look on their faces. Haruka was the one who broke the  
silence first, "we definitely have to do this more often."  
  
Her comment earned her beautiful gales of laughter from Michiru.  
Haruka didn't feel embarrassed that Michiru was laughing at her but was  
instead glad that she made her happy.  
  
As the laughter died down and they resumed their original positions  
overlooking the city, Haruka felt Michiru tense slightly. "What do you  
think will happen to Rei?"  
  
Haruka knew that that was a question on Michiru's mind all evening.  
"She will be put on trial for murder. I think she will confess to the  
crime. And she will get her sentence."  
  
"Death." It was a statement of fact, not a question.  
  
"Yes." Haruka softly agreed.  
  
"Why did we go around stopping her from committing suicide, if  
the outcome is the same?"  
  
"Because that is how our system works. She needs to know what  
truly happened and repent for her mistakes. If she killed herself, she  
wasn't atoning." Haruka commented. It was an answer that she spent her  
entire working life as a police office to arrive at.  
  
Michiru turned back and gave her a weird look which basically  
translated to 'it was unbelievable that Haruka could come up with  
something like that.' Of course, Haruka protested. "I'm not an  
airheaded blonde, you know."  
  
"Yes. You are *my* airheaded blonde." Michiru countered  
playfully.  
  
"Yours?"  
  
Michiru blushed. It was the first time that Michiru had come out  
to say it. "One thing I've learnt from this incident is to treasure  
what I have. You never know when it would be taken away from you, and  
society norms and values may not be always right."  
  
Haruka thought for a moment and shifted slightly to retrieve her  
jacket lying on the floor next to her. From the pocket, she retrieved a  
velvet case and laid it before Michiru."I haven't said this properly  
yet.." As Haruka opened the case, she declared emotionally, "I love you,  
Michiru."  
  
Michiru recognised the white gold necklace immediately. "This is  
the one in Osaka..." Upon seeing Haruka's nod, Michiru was choked for  
words. This meant that Haruka already had feelings for her then.  
  
"May I put this on for you?" Haruka asked. With the consent given  
by Michiru, she nervously strung the necklace around Michiru's neck and  
clasped it.  
  
Once done, the green haired girl turned to face her partner and  
mouthed her word of thanks. It was apparent that she was still  
emotionally charged from receiving the present.  
  
"I'm glad that you like it." Haruka responded, beginning to feel  
unsure how to react.  
  
"I love it and I love you, Tenoh Haruka." Michiru declared  
earnestly.  
  
As both leaned in for another kiss, Haruka's cell phone rang  
again. Grumbling, Haruka took the call unwillingly. Not more than a  
minute of listening to the other party, Haruka unceremoniously  
questioned, "another murder case?!"  
  
To this new development, Michiru could only smile in exasperation.  
She stood up, staking a hand out for Haruka, who had just recently ended  
her call. "Come on. Duty beckons."  
  
Haruka sighed and took the help to pull herself up from the floor.  
"You know what? I'm glad that you are my partner."  
  
"Partners forever?" Michiru teased.  
  
"Forever."  
  
  
***** THE END *****  
  
Author's notes:  
  
I've completed the series finally. It was a long write (approximately 2 years  
in writing), with the usual delays attributed to real life. If only money   
could drop out from the sky and we do not need to work for it, I'm sure my   
writing speed would have vastly improved.  
  
So, to all the readers out there, as the above didn't happen, I  
apologise for the long wait.  
  
I have taken liberties with the structural design of Tokyo Tower as I  
have written this fic based on memory from various anime that had  
scenes in Tokyo Tower. So certain descriptions of Tokyo Tower may not  
be true.  
  
Last but not least, I thank Cass & Albrecht Halbstein for their pre-  
reading efforts. Without them, my fic will be laden with spelling,  
grammar and plot continuity mistakes.  
  
GSL  
gsl@bigmailbox.net  
http://web.singnet.com.sg/~chiaty/fanfics-Moon.htm  
15 December 2002 


End file.
